Every review we hold for the Durham City office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 5/5
GooglePurchased my property through Dowen estates with the help of Mandy. It was a long process but Mandy Pledger was with us all through she kept us up dated on every issue and at the end there was a smooth exchange of contract we are very grateful for her professional help .10 out of 10
Joan · 14 June 2022
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI chose Dowen after reading reviews of the business and was not disappointed. Caroline proved to be worth her weight in gold - a thorough professional, helpful, knowledgeable and prompt at updating me on developments and on the requirements of my move to my new rented home in Durham. Wonderful service, and much appreciated. Thank-you! Paul Allonby.
Beat · 17 September 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Hello Paul Allonby,
Thank you so much for sharing your positive experience with us! We're thrilled that you chose Dowen based on reviews and that Caroline exceeded your expectations.
Caroline's professionalism, helpfulness, knowledge, and prompt communication truly exemplify the level of service we aim to provide. We're delighted that we could play a role in your smooth transition to your new rented home in Durham.
Your gratitude means a lot to us, and we're honored to have been a part of your journey. If you ever need further assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for choosing Dowen, and we wish you all the best in your new home!
Warm regards,
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleCaroline Ryan at Dowens has managed my accommodation in Durham for several years as our agent. She has always addressed any concerns our tenant has raised, rapidly and effectively. It has been excellent service for us as landlord and on behalf of our tenant thank you
Stephen · 14 May 2024
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Dear Lister,
That's wonderful to hear! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with Caroline Ryan at Dowen Durham. It sounds like she's been incredibly attentive and proactive in managing your accommodation in Durham. It's great to know that both you, as the landlord, and your tenant have benefitted from her excellent service. I'll make sure to pass on your appreciation to her and the team. If you ever need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out!
Warmest Regards
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 1/5
TrustpilotRUN A MILE THEY HAVE COST ME THOUSANDS
Not even deserving of 1 star. Totally unprofessional and incompetent approach to managing someone else’s property. If you want the house you’ve worked so hard for to be allowed to be destroyed and kept like what can only be described as Steptoe and Sons cesspit, have dowen manage it. Can’t put into words the absolute turmoil this company has put me and my family through. Run a mile. Totally and utterly disgusted by what was once a good company, will shout from the rooftops for anyone and everyone to steer clear, do yourself a favour and use absolutely anyone else.
Cat · 3 April 2024
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleDowen services were fantastic. The Estate agent Jenifer was very helpful. With her help, the property buying process went very smoothly.
Thanks, Jenifer, for the five stars services.
NEETU · 14 June 2021
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Neetu, thank you for awarding us 5 stars and supporting your local business. Jennifer will be very happy that her excellent work hasn't gone unnoticed. Best of luck, John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleMandy and the team at Dowan in Durham during the sale of our property have been professional and kept us informed at all stages of the sale. Many thanks to you all Debbie, Gavin and Chris
Chris · 15 June 2018
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Chris. Thank you for taking the time to provide a 5 STAR REVIEW for Dowen Durham. I'm so pleased that we delivered on the service levels that we constantly strive for Denis Dowen - Managing Director
★★★★★ 4/5
GoogleSelling a property can be a stressful time, the staff from Dowen helped and assisted where they could to push my sale through the loops that are required from solicitors.
Recommended! Thanks.
Jonathon · 10 December 2024
Agent replied · 11 December 2024
Dear Jonathon,
Thank you so much for your kind review and for recommending Dowen! We’re delighted to hear that our team was able to assist you through the process and help ease some of the stress involved in selling your property.
We truly value your feedback and will continue to work on improving our service to ensure an even smoother experience. Our goal is to provide a 5-star experience every time, and we hope to achieve that with you in the future.
Thank you again for choosing Dowen, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can assist you further.
Best regards,
The Dowen Team
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleSarah and all the team at Dowen’s Durham office have been exceptional. They have gone the extra mile for us every step of the way. We are so glad the house we bought was through them, as their knowledge and professionalism has helped us through the stresses associated with a long distance move. Wouldn’t hesitate to highly recommend them.
Amanda · 14 June 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you, Amanda for taking the time to write those kind words, recommendation and 5 stars. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotI will recommend Dowen lettings to…
I will recommend Dowen lettings to anyone, any day, and any time. The staff are courteous. Heike and Sophie are exceptional and are very professional, they pick calls and return calls as and when due. Well done. You have my 5 stars already.
Olabode · 13 August 2025
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleExcellent service. Very helpful staff. Special thanks to Sarah Stokell.
Bahar · 14 June 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you, Bahar for your lovely review, recommendation and 5 stars. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI have had a lovely experience in getting my house on the market, having viewings organised for me (as I am not in the region), and in the offer-process. Would highly recommend Dowen to others in the region wanting to sell their property. Everyone has been helpful, friendly, kind and has understood my unique set of circumstances.
Helen · 14 June 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you, Helen for your wonderful comments, business, recommendation and 5 stars. We wish you a Merry Christmas and fabulous new year. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI've had an extremely disappointing experience with this real estate agency.
We arranged a viewing for a property in Newton Hall, Durham at 10.30am. We have originally informed the agent, Dawn Teggert, that we're coming all the way from Manchester, which is 2 1/2-hours driving distance away, to see the property. Meaning we needed to leave at around 8.00am to be there on time. However, at around 9am on the day of the viewing, I received a text message saying that they'll have to cancel the viewing. Keep in mind, we were already on the way at that time, having left at a little before 8am (and woken up at 5.30am for this purpose). You'll certainly agree that an agent informing a prospective tenant of any 'change of plans' about 1 1/2 hours before the time of the arranged viewing, despite them knowing they need 2 1/2 hours to reach the destination, isn't good practice. You'd expect the agent to make any required arrangements to accommodate you, especially in such circumstances. She offered us another viewing at 2.30pm on the same day and she made it appear as if she did us a favour. Really?
At around 2.15pm, I got a call from her asking where we were and whether we'd arrive as "she didn't have all the time to wait." It was just 2.15pm, 15 minutes earlier than the time of the arranged appointment (we were about 5 minutes away).
And we weren't even able to view the garage of the property as the previous tenants were still there (even though they were supposed to have moved out the other day).
Upon arriving, we weren't greeted in a friendly or particularly cordially manner. In fact, she didn't exactly greet us, and throughout the viewing she seemed to be rushing us every step of the way. Of course, we needed to ask several questions about the property, and her answers were always short, as if she didn't want to waste her words! Her attitude was extremely disgraceful, and it perpetually gave us to understand that we weren't wanted, that we weren't good enough for the property. She asked several questions regarding ourselves as prospective tenants, which I could have understood if it hadn't been for her repeatedly insinuating (quite directly) that we're dishonest and/or unreliable. And she did that without even making any checks or taking any action in this regard, which is absolutely shocking. This lady was rude, unhelpful, and not at all what you'd expect from a real agent with supposedly 20 years of industry experience!
We spent a total of 7 minutes viewing the property, and about 7 hours on the road (driving to the property and back to Manchester, after having to change direction twice because of the change in the time of the arranged viewing). Her tone seemed to say "You're not wanted here, I've got better fish to fry." Not to mention forking out (and wasting) £50 on gas.
I would strongly advise against renting any property from them. And if you get to deal with this particular agent, here's a piece of advice: don't waste your time OR money. You'll only end up at a loss and extremely frustrated. If there was no possibility to see the property at 2.30pm, we would have wasted hours, and she couldn't have cared any less. And don't expect a smile, either. All this lady can do is make a joke of your resources, call you a liar, and never once apologise for all the trouble she's putting you through because of her lack of breeding, professionalism, and respect.
We are planning to take action through The Property Ombudsman for bad practice as such attitude should not be tolerated. Nobody deserves to be treated in such a manner.
Corina · 15 June 2018
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Dear Miss Silverstru
I was very disappointed to read your review and as a consequence, have investigated your complaint
This is our version of events
It had been agreed, with existing tenants that they would be fully moved out, of the property, by Monday pm - with you able to view on the Tuesday am, at the agreed time
When on Tuesday morning, we found that keys had not be left at our branch as agreed, with the previous tenants, we contacted them first thing Monday, whereby they advised, they had, had a last moment, move out, issue and would have keys to us 2pm
Our branch, aware that you were on the road, immediately contacted you to advice of this unexpected problem and offered a 2.30pm appointment, which you accepted. It was unfortunate, that you had already set of from Manchester, but this was out of our control
You were then contacted a little later, to advise that if you were waiting around, we could accommodate you earlier, at the property, at 2.15pm. You chose to still arrive at 2.30pm
Our Durham branch, Lettings Portfolio Manager, Dawn Teggert, met you at the property. As is normal practise for a letting agent, had some basic information from you about your circumstances, but at the property, began to ask additional questions about your eligibility to rent the it i.e.: did you have right of residency in the UK, were you able to provide proper original ID, what was your previous letting history, what was your employment situation, etc. Many of your answers, were not in keeping with our landlords requirements, hence the need, for Dawn to ask more questions
We hope this clarifies our situation. Dawn's customer feedback is in general exceptional, as can be seen by the reviews here and on Facebook Dowen Durham. We are both very sorry, that you felt your experience, was not as such
Ultimately, based on the information you provided to us, the landlord was unable to consider any application, from you
We trust this properly explains the situation and wish you the best of luck, in successfully finding a property to rent, in the Durham area
John Nicholson - Branch Manager - Dowen Durham
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWhen looking to rent my first property, Dawn was excellent at meeting our every needs. Being transparent about the entire process and making it as easy as possible. With this being the first time I have ever rented, the professionalism shown by Dawn helped ease the stress of the process and we were able to move in quickly. Would highly recommend this estate agent!
Mathew · 15 June 2018
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleMany thanks to the team at Dowens, who were super-helpful and supportive through the process of selling our parents' much-loved bungalow. Communication was excellent at every stage, including navigating the additional red-tape that seems to be inevitable now in the conveyancing process. We highly recommend the team for an excellent service at a fair price.
Karen · 14 June 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you, Karen for your wonderful comments, recommendation and 5 stars. We thank you for the business and wish you the very best. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGood experience with Dowen. Good communication with Caroline during rental tenancy. Highly recommended
Kieran · 16 June 2025
Agent replied · 16 April 2026
Dear Kieran,
Thank you for your great review! We're so pleased to hear you had a good experience with us and that Caroline was able to support you throughout your tenancy. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Warmest Regards
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
TrustpilotBethany at Dowen Hartlepool branch True Professional
Bethany at Dowen Hartlepool branch professional and fantastic.
Paula · 20 May 2026
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI have found Caroline at Dowen to be very friendly and helpful, I had lots of questions and I usually received responses promptly, often on the same day. I've had a very positive experience so far.
Emma · 26 July 2024
Agent replied · 25 August 2024
Dear Emma,
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We are delighted to hear that you had such a positive experience with us, and especially with Caroline. We take great pride in our team, and it’s fantastic to know that Caroline was friendly, helpful, and responsive to your questions.
Your kind words motivate us to continue providing excellent service. If you have any further questions or need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to continuing to serve you!
Warm regards,
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleDowen (Durham) have provided a fantastic service. From the start they were proactive without being pushy, and helped me sell my house in a matter of days. I receive regular calls from the sales team to update me on progress, and John has gone above and beyond in helping me negotiate the purchase of a new home.
Selling and buying a house can be incredibly stressful but Dowen took some of the burden away from me. I can't recommend them highly enough. Thank you.
Sarah · 15 June 2017
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Many thanks for your kind words Sarah. Great to see that we have delivered superb service. I am proud to have the benefit of being able to work with our excellent Durham branch team. Denis Dowen - Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleDowen were fantastic from start to finish of selling our house.
Mandy was always on hand and quickly sorted any problems which had arisen.
I would recommend them 100%
Hayley · 15 June 2019
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you posting such a great review. A pleasure to read. Denis Dowen - Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat estate agent for our time renting in Durham
Mana · 16 July 2025
Agent replied · 16 April 2026
Dear Saeed,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're really glad to hear you had a great experience renting with us in Durham. It was a pleasure to support you during your time here, and we wish you all the best in the future!
Warmest Regards
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleDell has been great, professional and responsive in assisting us to purchase our new home.PositiveResponsiveness
Chris · 14 June 2022
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Chris, thank you for taking the time to award us 5 stars. Dell recently joined the firm and is proving in a very short space of time to be a very valuable asset. Best of luck in your new home. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleDowens handled the sale of a property for me. The whole process went smoothly and they we very informative along the way, keeping me up to date at all times. I received a quality service from their personnel.
Harry · 14 May 2024
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Dear Harry,
Thank you so much for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that your experience with Dowens was nothing short of excellent. Our team prides itself on providing informative and attentive service throughout the entire process. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we're delighted that we could make your property sale a smooth and successful experience. If you ever need assistance in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. We're always here to help!
Warmest Regards
John Nicholson
Managing Director
★★★★★ 5/5
Googlefantastic Service, lovely staff. Sarah was really helpful and informative throughout. Would definitely recommend.
Amy · 14 June 2022
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you for taking the time review and award Dowen Durham 5 stars. Warmest Regards - John Nicholson - Managing Director.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleCaroline has helped me every step of the way with the whole process of sorting out my application, deposit, keys etc. Couldn’t have asked for her to be more friendly & helpful, would definitely recommend Dowen if your thinking of finding an estate agents to rent through.
Sharni · 17 October 2023
Agent replied · 13 June 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this fantastic 5-star review! I am thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Caroline and the entire team at Dowen. It's wonderful to know that Caroline's assistance made the application process, deposit, and key collection hassle-free for you. We take great pride in providing friendly and helpful service to our clients, and your recommendation means a lot to us. If you ever need any further assistance or have any questions in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help and make your renting experience as smooth as possible. Thanks again for choosing Dowen!
Warmest Regards
John Nicholson
Managing Director
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