A Southampton man who moved house 11 times as a child has founded his own estate agency.

Rowe & Co Homes’ first office opened in Rufus Court in Winchester Road, Chandler's Ford at the end of the year, with plans to expand to other locations throughout the area in the next two years.

It is founded by Rob Rowe, the managing director, who has over 25 years of experience as a local estate agent.

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Having moved across Southampton 11 times as a child, he became curious about property from a young age.

In 1999 he entered the property business in Southampton and worked his way up to become one of the city’s youngest-ever branch managers and a director of White & Guard.

He said: “I know how fractured and disjointed the process of buying or selling a house can be. For over 30 years our team has been working in the Southampton property industry and we, like many, have felt frustrated with the flaws in the local housing market.

“Too often national and local property firms have neglected the need for real relationships, farming parts of the property journey out by department or outsourced provider and leaving buyers and sellers alike trying to connect the dots on their own. Home-movers no longer experience the ease of building a relationship with an individual agent, having a single point of contact, and streamlining their moving process.”

He added: “Here, at Rowe & Co, we want to change that. With a unique approach to property, we create a seamless journey from valuation to viewing to offer and completion - where one partner looks after your purchase or sale from start to finish.

"Our goal is to be a real partner for our clients right from the start, one point of contact for valuation, photography, getting you on the market, viewings and all the way through to completion - that’s how we’re going to raise property standards across Southampton.”

Mr. Rowe is joined by associate director James Steele, who has significant experience in Southampton’s property market.

Mr. Steele said: “Rowe & Co is a breath of fresh air for Southampton’s property market and I’m really excited to help people and families find, buy and sell property in our beautiful home.”