Family bounce back from redundancy to set up lettings agency

An enterprising mother and daughter are bouncing back from being made redundant due to Covid-19 by setting up their own lettings agency.

Serina Williams and her daughter Charlotte set up Avenue Property in Porthcawl, south Wales, after losing their jobs at a nearby theatre because of the devastating impact the lockdown is having on the live events industry.

Mother of two Serina says: “I had worked at the Pavilion for 19 years as a marketing officer and was devastated when we were told the news. Charlotte also worked there part-time around her university commitments.

“After an initial period of shock, sadness, and anxiety, we thought what are we going to do to make a living?  Charlotte has recently graduated from university, and the job market isn’t great at the moment for graduates. 

“I’ve been a part-time landlord for more than 15 years, so we decided to start Avenue Property and use my experience and Charlotte’s enthusiasm to treat our clients the way we’d like to be treated. 

“We feel we can offer a high level of customer service because of our background and that we’re a small, family-run business which wants to help local people. Our goal is to do things differently. I know a lot of challenges that landlords face and can also empathise with the problem’s tenants have.

“We’re set up to embrace technology and make everything a lot easier for landlords and tenants.

“Losing our jobs because of Covid-19 was horrible, but we’re excited about the future.”