In the January of 1983, Simon Caplin, started his career in estate agency selling houses and flats in Brighton & Hove.
"I can remember my very first sale, a three bedroom house in Shakespeare Street in Poets Corner that sold for £29,750 and at the time, this was really a very high price to have achieved. Here we are, all of these years later with houses in this particular location selling for circa £700,000, an increase of 2,250%!"
"When I started there were no emails, internet, mobile telephones or any other types of assistance we are able to rely on today, just a desk top telephone and fax machine, whilst our property details were aided by a black and white photograph of the exterior of the property. When a new instruction became available it was a matter of telephoning all the applicants we felt would be interested or putting a set of the details in the post. To be more proactive than this, often it was a case of jumping in the car and hand delivering the particulars to those keen to move quickly! How times have changed and of course for the better."
Simon has expanded his repertoire enormously with his experience leading to all types of residential and commercial property, enabling him to provide in depth knowledge and advice to his clients in all aspects of the property market across the entirety of Sussex ranging from Hastings to Chichester and up to Mid Sussex.
"I take great pride in the reputation I have built and particularly enjoy the fact I am able to advise my clients honestly and knowledgeably on any aspect of property including not only values and the best way to sell, but also the more technical side which is why I made the decision some years ago to study and understand in detail the confines of the relevant Acts that govern both residential and commercial property law."
So, what’s next for Simon?
"That’s easy, I love being an auctioneer here at Lextons and am very much looking forward to the next few years, where my aim is to ensure we maintain our success and standing as one of the leading auction houses across Sussex and ultimately becoming the number one firm, continuing to offer a service that is both uncompromised, unparalleled and unrivalled by our competitors."