Air Manage Suffolk, a property management and marketing agency for holiday lets across East Anglia, has opened a new office on Southwold High Street.
Harry Embleton established Air Manage Suffolk in 2017 as a short-term rental agency – and joined up with Jake Read and Shaquille Brand, founders of Suffolk Cleaners, in July 2019.
“At the time we merged, Air Manage had about 30 houses, and we realised it would put us in a much stronger position if all three of us put our heads together and provided an all-in-one service for holiday letting,” said Jake Read.
The company advertises holiday properties on behalf of homeowners, both on its own website and popular platforms such as booking.com, Airbnb and Tripadvisor. “We've also got exclusive partnerships with Marriott Hotels and Plum Guide,” Jake added.
Its property management services include cleaning, maintenance, key handovers and 24-hour callouts. “We cover absolutely everything,” said Jake. “In the summer we have up to 40 cleaners out and about – it gets incredibly busy.”
Air Manage Suffolk opened its first high-street office in Aldeburgh last year – literally offering another shop window for property owners.
“When you're sat in the office, there is always at least one person stood outside looking at those properties,” said Jake. “It’s almost an obligatory thing – people are just drawn to them.
“Positioning ourselves on the high street also means that owners can chat to their account manager, and they've always got a familiar face dealing with their property.”
The company opened a second office on Southwold High Street on Monday, October 3.
“It's now that time after summer when people start looking at putting their properties on the market for holiday lettings, so it’s the perfect time for us to open in Southwold,” said Jake.
“Aldeburgh and Southwold are two of the biggest coastal towns in the UK in terms of popularity – and they're also where most of our properties are, so it makes sense for us to have offices there.
“We are probably the most visible shopfront as you drive into Southwold,” he added. “It’s next to FatFace and it's got a good fascia. Any further into town it would almost get lost.”
Air Manage Suffolk has also moved its operations hub – which is used by the housekeeping team – from Rendlesham to Pettistree, near Woodbridge.
“Pettistree is equally well-positioned on the A12, so you can get to Aldeburgh, Southwold, Felixstowe and all the main towns quickly,” said Jake.
The company now manages over 200 properties and is targeting £5 million in booking revenue this year, up from £3.5 million last year.
Jake said the immediate focus is expanding in Southwold – with properties that stand out.
“We try to focus on properties which have that wow factor.”
For more information, visit www.airmanagesuffolk.com
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