Wards at 100!

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of Wards, Kent’s estate agents. To celebrate, we have taken a deep dive into the history of Wards, from our humble beginnings in 1922!

In the early 1920s, two brothers from Gillingham started helping people to move forwards, opening their first estate agency office in Gillingham’s Watling Street. The Ward brothers became prominent figures in the Medway community.

For over 70 years, Ward & Partners helped people move to new locations across Kent. The rise in popularity, and the growth of Wards Estate Agents meant that the brothers became a renowned and trusted name in the housing industry across the Southeast.

Fast-forward to the 1980s, and the Ward brothers sold Ward & Partners to Prudential Property, a larger property management company based in London. This holding was short as, in 1991, Paul Rooney purchased Ward & Partners along with four other estate agencies in the Southeast.

Although he was creating the Southeast’s largest independent estate agent, Paul was determined to keep the locality and friendliness of each branch, whilst also introducing modern and effective marketing to homes across the entirety of the area. With the estate agent network spanning Kent, London, Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and even to the Isle of Wight, this meant that we gained a number of expert agents passionate about property.

Over the years, it’s safe to say we’ve seen our fair share in house price rises and falls. From the famous crash of the 1980s to the presently skyrocketing average house market of the pandemic.

In the 1920s, the average house price was a simple £619*, equating to around £34,045 today. Since then, we’ve seen a tenfold rise in prices, with the average UK home costing just over £300,000!

In the past hundred years, Wards have grown to be active members in the Kent community, from hosting our annual Children’s Awards in collaboration with the Kent Community Foundation and KMFM to lots of other charity activities!

Though we have grown in size, we are still Kent’s local property experts, here and waiting to help you move forwards on your life’s journey. Stay connected with us on our Facebook and Instagram to see just how we’re celebrating our centenary.

*https://www.maturetimes.co.uk/comparing-costs-last-90-years/