JAMES Murray is delighted to record that the firm will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this autumn.

Clive and Jenny Murray with Richard, took the brave step at the time, of opening the initial office in Stroud in 1993, determined to offer something different.

The concept was that Murrays as a family run company, should have a real rapport with the community which it served and not just be seen as another estate agent on the High Street.

This ethos continues today.

James Murray having previously trained in London joined the company in 2006 and while both Clive and Jenny passed away shortly thereafter, the strong foundations laid down at the outset, allowed the company to expand adding offices in Minchinhampton and Painswick.

While Estate Agency has changed dramatically in the last 25 years and continues to evolve rapidly not least with the rise of online estate agents, the Directors Richard and James Murray remain convinced that the Murrays model, of traditional estate agency with a human face backed up by the latest marketing techniques, is still the best way forward especially in such a close-knit community.

On the one hand we establish lasting relationships with clients and their properties (some of which we have sold several times over in the last 25 years), on the other prospective purchasers from London and elsewhere tell us how refreshing it is to have the chance to come into an office and have a proper chat about what may be available, face to face.

None of what we have achieved over the last 25 years would have been possible without our loyal staff who were chosen initially for their experience and intimate knowledge of the local area and who all ‘buy in’ to what we are trying to achieve.

Thus the Murrays ‘family’ continues to grow with the latest member, Judy Free, taking on social media, (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), which is rapidly becoming the new force in property marketing especially amongst younger purchasers.

At the other end of the scale, October marks the retirement from the firm of Guy James who has been with Murrays from the outset, leaving Jamie Dalrymple Hamilton, with over 35 years’ experience in national estate agency before joining Murrays, as the older statesman of the firm!

Finally, being part of the community is for Murrays so much more than a day job.

Richard and James both perform regularly at the Cotswold Playhouse most recently in ‘Guys and Dolls in which Judy also appeared and James, in particular, regularly undertakes challenges for charity and is rumoured to be doing a sponsored sky dive next year!

The firm also supports different local charities as well as WickFlix cinema in Painswick and the Nailsworth Festival.