Trusted Agent profile · Brighton
★★★★★
286 reviews across 1 platform
132-135 Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 3LG
John Hilton and Co's office in Brighton, at 132-135 Lewes Road, is rated 4.3 out of 5 across 286 reviews on 1 platform, including 286 Google reviews rated 4.3.
Every review we hold for the Brighton office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
5/5
GoogleJohn Hiltons were very professional and efficient throughout the whole process of the sale of my property. What was invaluable was having a dedicated person to liaise with the buyer post the offer being accepted. Tracy provided an exceptional service. It opened a clear line of communication which is often lost when dealing with solicitors. Would highly recommend.
Many thanks for your kind words and pleased we were able to get it over the line!
5/5
GoogleBrilliant experience with John Hilton managing our house - Frankie has been invaluable in making sure we’re kept up to date and any safety checks and repairs are sorted rapidly and done properly. Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. Much appreciated.
2/5
GoogleMyself and 2 more people have rented a house through this agency. The house had multiples stains of mould and nobody came to professionally clean it before we moved in. We did it by ourselves. Landlord and agency couldn't work together. They were dropping in our house without letting us know and lying that they sent us an email but 'maybe it didn't come'. They gave us the option of cleaning our garden when we moved in and then we should keep it tidy or leave it as it is and not to worry about it when we were going to move out. We chose the 2nd option. Obviously by the end of the contract the garden was worst compared with when we moved in but we didn't care as we agreed of not cleaning it from the first place. 1 month before moving out they sent us an email with the pictures of the garden when it was tidy and they were threatening us that we should clean it or they would get money from our deposit. Being students then with a budget in our hands, we were forced to clean it. A lot more happened which ill not waste my time writing. Hope you became better since then because i am still feeling bad for the people which moved in that house after us. Edit: Thanks for the response, and for investigating my feedback. That is the reason i changed my review from 1 to 2 stars. Yes i agree with you and i understand that you may had a difficult person to deal with. But what did you do about this during that time? I don't care what you did afterwards as it didn't influence me. I will answer the question for you. During that period of time, the tasks you did were: 1. try to convince the landlord to do something without achieving it, 2. ignoring the emails from tenants, 3. Threatening us at the end of our contract, 4. Never apologized for anything. This is unprofessional and really bad behavior, especially when applied to young, busy, concerned about life students.
Hi Demos, thank you for your comments and we appreciate and understand your frustration. 2015 was the first year John Hilton's were asked to find tenants for Gary’s properties on a tenant find only service and for him to self manage as the landlord. We were advised that the houses would be professionally cleaned, any rubbish removed, broken items repaired/replaced and gardens tidied before tenants took up occupancy. Unfortunately this was found not to be the case and the houses were not left as promised. John Hilton's were hugely let down by the landlord and were left to try and help disgruntled tenants and guarantors with no power to rectify these issues and a landlord with a dismissive attitude. Due to our experience with Gary we have refused to have any further dealings in letting his properties as we feel that promises and assurances to us were not upheld. We fully appreciate that you may have experienced issues during your tenancy, however this is not in anyway connected to John Hilton's and we feel that your dissatisfaction and frustrations are misdirected at our company
4/5
GoogleWe had very bumpy start with JH, we were left with rubbish and beds for an unfurnished let, trades people letting themselves in consistently and without our consent with no accountability. Then Kimberley Gold started…. Since she’s taken over as our contact I can only say how wonderfully she takes care of all our needs. Kimberley is a delight to deal with always kind helpful and professional. I’d recommend JH only as we have the pleasure of having Kimberley Golds as our agent. She is a gem and hope she never leaves ;)
5/5
GoogleThe team at John Hilton are the most amazing house letting agents I’ve met. I had a great experience from the beginning starting with the lady that showed me the house to the point I moved in with other house mates. They made every step easy, showed understanding to our needs, very professional, swift with all queries + addressing complaints. Especially Catrina and Jo-Ann. Will recommend.
Thank you for kind words it’s much appreciated
1/5
GoogleIf you’re a student, avoid this agency. Kimberley, the property manager, scheduled gardening services without our consent and then made us pay for them. They will probably respond this post stating that it was in a bad condition during the tenancy so they felt it necessary to do this but none of the tenants agreed to this service being scheduled. We were well within our rights to tend to the garden ourselves before the tenancy ended, and she took that away by prematurely organizing professional gardening services. It does not matter what she personally thought of the garden’s state during inspections, nor is it her place to organise professional services on our behalf without our consent and then expect us to pay for the bill. On top of that, they trap students by having the property professionally cleaned before the tenancy, only to hit you with the same charges at the end, no matter what state you leave it in. We were charged nearly £1,000 for a report that mostly mentioned “dust and cobwebs.” Kimberley’s attempts to justify these excessive charges were weak, and after weeks of dispute, she conveniently brought up rental arrears, something that could have been mentioned upfront, saving everyone time and was clearly stated due to the lack of valid reasoning for the charges. It’s clear they prioritise the landlord’s interests over fairness to tenants. If you don’t want to be scammed, avoid this agency.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We apologize for the frustration you experienced during your tenancy. We understand how important it is for students to have clear communication and fair treatment regarding property management. Whilst we respect your perspective, we must clarify that the decision to schedule gardening services was based on our responsibility to maintain the property's condition for all tenants. However, we also note the responsibility for the tenants to maintain this as per the tenancy agreements clauses. As this wasn’t done during your extended tenancy, we needed to ensure this was completed. Regarding the cleaning charges and the report, we understand that the situation felt unjust, however as per the tenancy clauses it is the tenants responsibility to return the household in the same condition as received. This is so the next incoming tenants who are moving into the house, move in to the property where the levels of cleanliness are to an acceptable standard. Unfortunately, as this wasn’t the case we needed to proceed in organising cleaning. This bill does sadly fall to tenant responsibility and therefore deducted from the deposit. We strive to ensure that all fees are reasonable and clearly explained. We were transparent and shared all invoicing with yourselves, along with the clauses within your agreement that aligned with these. We have third party inventory and check out teams to conduct the reports to ensure an unbiased view on the households’ conditions. This is what we will base the proposals from. We wish you the best in your future endeavours.
5/5
GoogleTracy Ewington was an absolute star in guiding me through the stressful process of completing on a protracted and difficult sale that involved numerous solicitors and an interminable amount of chasing and calling. She was brilliant throughout and I would certainly use her again without delay.
Thank you for your kind words and glad we were able to get your sale over the line despite all the obstacles.
5/5
GoogleWe have had the absolute pleasure of working with Tom Coffey, we cannot recommend him enough! Tom helped us find our dream home, was friendly, helpful and so informative and transparent throughout the entire prosses. The only regret we have is not selling our property with them, next time we move, we will be calling Tom. If you are selling or buying and want to work with someone who genuinely cares about you, contact Tom!
Thank you Megan for your very kind review and we are pleased to hear that you had a positive experience and that you were well looked after by Tom.
1/5
GoogleHaving dealt with John Hilton as a guarantor for my son who rented a property through the agency and was a student at Brighton University I would never recommend or use this agency again. Despite paying the agency a signing on fee every year for 4 years and an exit fee - the agency have done nothing but put everything in the hands of the landlord. There was a change over of 3 tenants in 2014 and no check-in/check-out inspection was carried out and now on leaving the property the landlord is trying to charge the new/replacement tenants for items that were never there! We were assured that John Hilton would act as an independent arbitrator between the tenants and the landlord. So far all they have done is pass our letter of dispute regarding the deposit return to the landlord who almost 3 weeks on has not even had the decency to respond and John Hilton have done nothing. According to the e-mail with the deposit return charges if we had a dispute it would be re-assessed! We have been left high and dry with no support/effort from the agency and have no choice now but to go independently to 'My Deposit'. I would recommend avoiding this agency at all costs. Unhelpful, and despite taking their fees they have done nothing .
Dear Mr Powell, I am sorry that you feel abandoned by John Hiltons, this was not our intention. Without making excuses our role with this property was to facilitate the paperwork side of things only as the landlord himself manages this property, including the checking of his property between tenancies. The security deposit is held by John Hiltons in a client account and we’d like to make it clear that we are not party to any proposed deductions allocated to the security deposit, these come from the landlord only. Our first correspondence from the lead tenant disputing charges was received on 12th September and this email was immediately sent to the landlord for his response. The response from the landlord said he was on holiday until 19th September and would reply on his return, this was promptly relayed to the lead tenant. On the 23rd September the lead tenant’s email was sent again to the landlord and we informed the tenants that this was followed up. The first correspondence received from the landlord was this morning and was forwarded immediately to the lead tenant. The landlord’s slow response is infuriating for both of us, however as an agent we are stuck in the middle and cannot return a deposit without the landlords prior permission. When landlords drag their heels we advise tenants to raise a formal dispute with the Alternative Dispute Resolution team at my|deposits as this provokes a response. Unfortunately the landlords first reply came in this morning! John Hiltons are happy to liaise for both parties but our thoughts are not binding, this can only be decided by the ADR. We can assure you that we hold the deposit and if a dispute is raised then all of the tenants money will be sent to my|deposits for the fair adjudication of the dispute. Apologies again that responses have dragged, unfortunately some things are out of our control. Kind regards Jo-Ann Stafford Lettings Manager
5/5
GoogleI am absolutely delighted with the work that Catrina has done for us in obtaining a new tenant for our property. Her attention to detail and her incredible hard work and professionalism are so much appreciated. She is available to speak at any time and everything was done to our highest satisfaction. I feel completely assured that there is no other agent that I could have had work for me to obtain a more satisfactory outcome for us and I highly recommend her services to all landlords.
Thank you for your kind words. Its good to hear that you were pleased with the outcome and the service you received.
5/5
GoogleAs a Conveyancer, I've worked with Tom Coffey at John Hiltons on multiple occasions and he is always a pleasure to work with. Professional and responsive, he excels at keeping a chain together and making sure everyone can meet a tight or sudden deadline, whilst also understanding the needs and process of Conveyancing as well (sometimes a rarity!). Looking forward to working with Tom again in the future!PositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism
Tom will appreciate the recognition especially coming from a conveyancing solicitor. Hopefully there will be plenty more in the future.
5/5
GoogleJohn Hilton recently sold my studio flat. They were supportive and helpful from start to finish. Always available to speak to when needed. Many thanks to all the staff and especially Tracy who is a credit to this firm. And a good sense of humour - which is often needed when things are stressful for client. Thanks and would highly recommend.PositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism
Thank you Pauline it was good to get it over the line as the buyers solicitor was very tricky to deal with. We're pleased for you that you can now move on with your life.
5/5
GoogleI would definitely recommend Marius and his team. They were very helpful and proactive during my flat purchase, always available and easily reachable. Thank you!
Thank you Felicita and hope you will be happy in your new home.
5/5
GoogleMarius and everyone at John Hilton have been consistently kind, supportive and understanding throughout my long and drawn out house selling/buying journey. I'm extremely grateful to be approaching my house move at last, and would highly recommend John Hilton to anyone who wants an honest and 'no pressure' estate agent, where the focus is on getting things right for the client. The process took longer than expected due to my original purchase falling through, but Marius gave sound advice and used his exceptional experience to ensure my sale remained on track.
Thank you very much for your kind words it is very much appreciated.
1/5
GoogleBeware of these estate agents, they will try to take you for all you’ve got once you leave at the end of the tenancy. Make sure you take as many photos as evidence on arrival and on leaving. Don’t make the same mistake as us. After a long dispute process and so much stress we finally got help through another company but I don’t want others to go through what we went through. Can’t believe they can get away with this in this cost of living crisis. Shame on you.
Dear Rosie, We're sorry to hear about your experience. Just to clarify, we act as agent on behalf of the landlord and we don't personally benefit from deposit deductions as this creates more work for us. An independent company did the inventory and check-out reports and the Deposit Dispute Service made the final decision based on all the evidence. We understand moving can be stressful and appreciate your feedback. If you have further concerns, please contact us directly.
5/5
GoogleI cannot recommend John Hilton Estate Agents highly enough. From my initial chat with Marius, to the wonderful Gaynor in Admin, and Tom who sold my house in less than a week of marketing to the excellent attention of Tracy, who liaises between buyer, seller and both solicitors with the conveyancing side of things - I am a very happy client. Tom was so hands on with his advice and knowledge of the market and the photographer was really good too. I felt looked after, respected and I always got a call back within minutes. If you want to sell your property well, in a BN postcode - look no further. Give them a call.
5/5
GoogleOur Property Manager, Frankie Mirisola-Jones, is an asset to the company. As a tenant you are at the mercy of the letting agency to act in what you consider to be your best interests and I have felt really let down in the past. However, Frankie's extremely professional manner is equally matched by her respect, care, consideration and understanding of tenants. She manages the interests and needs of the tenant perfectly and with great communication, thank you. A 5 star review for a 5 star service from Frankie, I would definitely recommend this branch of John Hilton because of her alone.
Thank you for leaving this review and we are pleased to hear that you are being looked after.
1/5
Google36 Springfield road - seller isn’t serious put in for asking was accepted after legal searches and stating they wanted a quick sale being pushed by estate agents to use their recommended solicitors seller pulled out no reason given lost a load of money. Been told today seller hasn’t responded to estate agents as to why. Was told by a woman there that they weren’t aware of this to then be called back up and told they were aware 3days ago didn’t bother telling us as buyers. Cost us a lot by them not bothering to communicate with us.
4/5
GoogleWe had very bumpy start with JH, we were left with rubbish and beds for an unfurnished let, trades people letting themselves in consistently and without our consent with no accountability. Then Kimberley Gold started…. Since she’s taken over as our contact I can only say how wonderfully she takes care of all our needs. Kimberley is a delight to deal with always kind helpful and professional. I’d recommend JH only as we have the pleasure of having Kimberley Golds as our agent. She is a gem and hope she never leaves ;)
5/5
GoogleJohn Hilton acted for us in the sale of our property. The house attracted a lot of interest & we agreed an offer close to the asking price. Communication was great throughout & we would like to pay particular thanks to Tom for his engaging & sensitive manner.
Hi Peter, thank you for leaving this kind review and we are pleased with the result achieved and the timings.
5/5
GoogleI was with John Hiltons for both my sale and purchase and they were absolutely brilliant from beginning to end! The team are mature and incredibly professional and treated my house and those I viewed with the utmost respect (shoes off on carpets etc) Once a sale was agreed, the ongoing process was managed by the superb Tracy, who liaises with the others in the chain and their respective estate agents and she really does it well!! I also want to say a big thank you to Tom, Simon and Marius and the whole team who made the process as smooth as it possibly could be.
5/5
GoogleI could not be more pleased with the service I received from this company while buying a house. Throughout the pandemic and lockdown they kept in contact with me, kept me informed, fought my corner and got things done! I always felt listened to and like they understood my frustrations (and generally shared them!) thanks so much Tracy and Tom for all your help.
Thank you Amanda. We hope you will be very happy in your new home.
5/5
GoogleThey make every process easy and smooth, properties across various budgets also The team was professional, responsive, and made the process seamless from start to finish. A special shoutout to Jo-Ann and Lauren, the letting managers, whose expertise and dedication stood out. They were incredibly helpful, attentive to details, and made sure all my concerns were addressed promptly. Highly recommend their services! Big ups to Lauren and her Team
Thank you for taking the time to leave this kind review, it is very much appreciated.
5/5
GoogleI am a middle aged professional who has used many estate agents over my years as a private buyer and landlord. I can honestly say that I have never had such excellent service from any estate agent as Marius and the team at John Hilton. Marius' attention to detail, communications and diligence are second to none and I highly recommend their services...... worth every penny..... thank you all.
Many thanks for your kind words
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
John Hilton and Co's Brighton office has 286 reviews across 1 platform: 286 on Google.
John Hilton and Co Brighton is rated 4.3 out of 5 across all 286 reviews, and 4.3 out of 5 on Google from 286 reviews.
John Hilton and Co Brighton, 132-135 Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 3LG.
