An agent selling some of the most upmarket homes in the country has shut two of its three offices.
Saxe Coburg in Dorset has closed its Canford Cliffs and Christchurch branches, with one redundancy. Its office in Boscombe remains open.
The company is owned by Maximillian De Kment, dubbed ‘Mr Sandbanks’ for his property deals in the area. He is a former professional rugby player, and also the chief executive of estate agents Lovett International. Lovett is a separate company, and is unaffected.
A spokesperson for Saxe Coburg said: “The majority of our enquiries are now coming from the internet, rather than members of the public walking in to any of our offices.”
The company maintains a “strong online and social media presence”, and many customers now approach Saxe Coburg via its website, he added, saying that the firm is as busy with one branch as it was with three.
Saxe Coburg is currently marketing a range of properties worth over £1m, including a property owned by Mr De Kment himself, on at £1.6m.
As has been reported, the home in Sandbanks is currently being let through Airbnb. Neighbours have claimed that noisy stag and hen parties are being held there, with the property offered to groups of up to 16 for £750 a night.
Mr De Kment himself was in this headline last year:
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/17928449.two-branches-saxe-coburg-estate-agents-shut/
Comments (8)
Good grief, he’s not blamed Brexit!
A simple glance at Mr De Kments Facebook profile should tell you all you need to know about this clown. Not to mention the story that ran in the national newspapers last year about his inappropriate sexual behaviour with another agents wife at the beach polo event. Dreadful man.
If this was true the offices would have closed years ago. It amuses me when people use “tinternet” as an excuse for not making a profit and having to close offices. Realistically it has made our jobs easier and more profitable.
Truth is they opened the office in Christchurch over 5 years ago, threw thousands of £’s at it but at the end of the day got so few instructions for sale or let that the office must have been haemmoraging money on a daily unsustainable basis.
and Christchurch is probably going to be the best place for walks in JC?
We get enough to make an office worthwhile. Their office was absolutely prime location but this is nothing to do with walk ins. He opened initially as lovetts whom everyone associates with Boscombe and the good folk of Christchurch rejected that image. He then changed the name to saxe coburg but kept the same staff and attitude. Well known locally as a flash harry, he was never going to fit in. With a rent of nearly £27,000 a year and business rates of £12,000 a year it was always hoping to be a struggle. He then insisted on 3 or 4 staff plus loads of gimmicks and sponsorship deals, we reckon in 5 years they took on less than 25 rentals and maybe 35-40 sale properties, mainly overpriced and with fee deals, the numbers just don’t work.
I assumed the Sandbanks office was closing because it will be underwater in 5 years! Shame most of the property it has sold will be too.
Never been there, never, ever, want to go there.