William H Brown Watton reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Unbelievably rubbish is all I can say!!

The Ware branch in Hertfordshire are completely rubbish!!Where do I start?? We were unforuntate to not research agencies before we started & seemed pushed into signing up with William H Brown in Ware, Herts branch. They seemed enthusiastic & keen at the beginning showing a willingness to help us. The truth is, it's only to get you on their books! Since then we have had such poor customer service from them, my poor husband has had to constantly chase them for updates, trying to confirm viewings with them was a chore, as negotiator was hard to get hold of. They don't give you feedback on viewings of our house or even feedback from potential offers!! Communication is s***, manager & senior negotiator never available & always out of office. The rest of the staff left in the branch are so lazy they couldn't even update us on the progress of our property!Even 1 of our viewings was cancelled & they didn't even ring us to let us know, so instead we rushed out the door 1 Saturday morning assuming it was going ahead, only to be told it was cancelled when my husband rang up the following Monday!! 😡 How is that on?! Staff obviously not fit for the job! Emailed the branch manager to complain about the unacceptable poor service & communication. She seemed unapologetic, defensive & very 1 sided saying they are so busy like it's all about them 🙄 We all have busy lives aswell you know! They are all talk & no action, they are good at selling themselves as a company, but when it comes down to selling the houses, they basically let the house sell itself & wait for vendors to pick up the phone & ring them! They obviously have not got the thorough sources & database they need to be pro actively finding potential vendors, because it's been 2 months & we have only had 4 viewings. So what has been going on? Photographs are also amateur & poor quality, they are obviously not doing anything to encourage interest in customers properties. They are unprofessional & uncommitted, all they care about is your signature on the contract, then you are stuck with them for 20 weeks, which is a very long time. Please research & read reviews before you sign up to an agency & do not use this branch because you will be stuck in a trap & will not get anywhere particularly if you are keen to get the ball rolling!!!

Jo · 27 January 2018

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Excellent service, James Penfold was a brilliant adviser, found us a great mortgage deal that suited our needs, certainly person centred and explained everything if the way we could understand especially being first time buyers, understanding the jargon was difficult! James also would respond to our queries the same day, William H Brown obviously employ competent people, very professional, thank you for your assistance we are now enjoying the new house. Alex & Ashley

Dinosaur · 26 October 2020

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Can't thank Laura and Megan enough for dealing with the sale of our house. Got it sold very quickly and for the full asking price. Communication was great and they went above and beyond to help us. Couldn't have done it without them. Thank you.

Hayley · 27 October 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Dishonest sales particulars - Failure to disclose material facts

After a 70+ mile drive to view what seemed to be the perfect house on paper - great house in need of some major updating, pictures made that clear - Great garden, very private with beautiful natural boundaries all around and not at all over looked by anyone.The house was empty and the agents had said we could look around the garden and have a look through the windows whilst we waited for the chap who was booked to show up around. We were wow'd by the back garden as it was a great size and so private. We were very excited and happy to have found a gem and were eager to get inside.Then the agent arrived and proceeded to tell us in a matter of fact way that a 1/3 of the garden was not included in the sale and would be sold off separately with outlined planning consent to build 4 new detached houses. That one sentence totally change the houses standing and took away all the privacy that is currently enjoyed by the property. We proceeded to view the house but made it very clear at that point that this information should have been in the sales particulars and in the online advertising details. We also said our offer would be drastically reduced if we were to make one.We decided that we liked the house and could accept the smaller garden but felt the price to high made a few offers that we were prepared to pay. Our offer was rejected so we walked away - A quick google search shows this house has been on the market on and off since 2013 with the same furniture inside, so we came to the conclusion the seller is unrealistic and decided to walk away.We wrote off a complaint to William H Brown asking why they hadn't given prospective buyers the information about the garden and they didn't feel it necessary as the agent was happy to inform people as they viewed. 4 detached houses being built in the garden and they don't feel buyers have the right or need to know prior top arriving at the house?An estate agent has a legal and moral duty to give any such information out that they have that can affect a buyers decision prior to them becoming financially involved. I might add, the ombudsman has stated that a buyer becomes finally involved when they turn the ignition key in their car and drives to view a property.Will Cross - Compliance Controller at William H Brown (Connells Group) decided against my complaint because he didn't feel the property was misrepresented and the fact that we made two offers backed that up.We did make an offer, our first offer was 60k below guide, and our second and final was 35k below guide.It transpired that Will Cross was looking at the photographs and his reasoning was only the areas of garden included in the sale were shown. Bagshaws Residential who are also part of the Connells Group tried to sell this house at auction and failed - Again, this is listed on Rightmove with all the garden pictured, even the areas that aren't included in the sale. This is the place we first found the house.. So they are reviewing.Both William H Brown and bagshaw residential are selling this house and they are also selling the land - They have a total of 4 adds between them on right and not one of these agents have mentioned 4 detached houses are to be built in the garden. William H Brown have since added an agents not to say the boundaries are being redefined - Yet they do not note planning has already been granted to build 4 detached houses in the garden.Yet Will Cross of the Connells Group does not believe this property is being misrepresented.It also needs to be said, they haven't sold this house and have failed the owner also by thinking it acceptable to let buyers know when the view and not allow them to decide before they arrange to view.

Philip · 26 June 2017

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

In my opinion,

In my opinion,Decided to use W H Brown based on there reputation of being the best in what they do. Got a place with a friend, was both our first time using w h brown and we viewed the place. We mentioned obvious repairs and cleaning that was meant to be done. When we got the keys and moved in we found the place hadn’t been cleaned and the repairs have not been done and they are expecting the tenants to deal with it. The property is not secure and the garden is a complete mess. Still nothing has been done about the repairs or the ongoing issues we are currently experiencing. Wouldn’t recommend them to anyone, avoid like the plague.

Peter · 28 September 2024

★★★★★ 2/5

Trustpilot

Prospective buyer doing all the work

I'm a buyer looking for my next home - I've viewed 9 properties so far - the 3 being sold via William H Brown (though 3 different offices) have all been a nightmare. It took 2 weeks and 5 phone calls to get a viewing on one property, and each time I called they insisted on trying to sell me other services first (conveyancers, mortgage advisors, renting options etc). After finally viewing the property 3 different people called me for feedback and again tried the hard sell. They're such a big company I can't avoid them but my experience with them is colouring my views of how appealing some properties are.

MH · 27 September 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Gidea Park Branch - Avoid!

We have been extremely dissatisfied with the service we received from this branch throughout the sale of our property. After we accepted an offer, the team essentially disappeared, leaving us to handle both transactions ourselves. We were forced to coordinate between all parties, chase solicitors, follow up with the lender, and manage the entire process over the course of four extremely stressful months. WHB provided no meaningful support or assistance during this time.Even the estate agent representing the property we were purchasing expressed their shock at the appalling service we experienced. They had to step in and fill the gap left by WHB to ensure our sale was progressing.The only time we witnessed any enthusiasm from WHB was when they signed us up. After that, their level of professionalism, engagement, and service declined dramatically. Their sole tangible contribution was organising the viewings, and beyond that, they offered little to no value.

Amin · 21 September 2024

★★★★★ 2/5

Trustpilot

Don't Even Bother

Current tenant in a property managed by William H Brown. Landlord is what you would call rogue and flat out refuses to carry out basic maintenance tasks as well as essential electrical safety items. This agency are not interested in helping in the matter. Rather they are happy to collect your money via the rent paid and allow bad practices to carry on. If you're a rental prospect or even a potential buyer, steer well clear as they are only interested in your wallet rather than your standard of living.

M · 6 April 2016

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Staff was very friendly

Staff was very friendly, helpful especially Katie Morgage advisor she always very helpful I recommend my friends for Morgage in future

Khuram · 20 February 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Totally disgusted with William h brown…

Totally disgusted with William h brown currently renting through the mildenhall branch and I need to move out by oct as my landlady is moving out, they have been no help phone or email about properties no help at all say they’ll phone me back never do I feel it’s because I’m a single parent and they think I can’t afford anything so wake up browns us single parents are doing ok. Never did I think I’d be descriminated against being a single parent !!!!

Shelli · 1 September 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Promise the skies, deliver what exactly?

When I heard the sales pitch about how they can afford to offer no sale no fee because they're a huge agent and can afford to take the losses, I should have considered whether this also meant they were lazy and lacked any hunger for sales. Seems they're main selling strategy is to argue for the lowest selling price, only to come back in 2 weeks and try to push an even lower sales price, so ultimately it is the vendor who 'takes the losses'. 26 August 2024 - the lacklustre service rolls on. Complete failure to vet viewers leading to time wasting and sheer frustration. Avoid!

Heff · 26 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

We provisionally and purchased through the team but were unable to complete due to personal reasons. The team were excellent throughout, negotiating both a sale and purchase price that suited everyone. They accommodate all requests and answered the many questions I had. When we do look to sell again, we would use them without doubt.

Bennys · 9 April 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

I would leave no stars if I could

I would leave no stars if I could. No communication. Was recommended modern auction method, hopeless, price plummeted and eventually we found out from the buyers a member of staff recommended a low bid. Very poor or no service at all.

Debbie · 5 December 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

The whole team at Watton were absolutely brilliant but Connor in particular was amazing he went above and beyond to get my sale and purchase through as smoothly as possible and put up with an awful lot of earache from me. Well done Connor you’ll go far!!

Helen · 11 October 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Not for the Inexperienced

This company provided extremely poor service, they have been found by the property ombudsman to be negligent in their duties. They failed to get previous landlord or any personal references for the tenant they provided on their 'tenant find service' . They failed to do the start of term inventory in a timely manor. They used an external company to do the credit checks who managed not to find the tenants CCJ's that they already had. If you use this firm be advised you will need to supervise them at Every step and check every step of their work. Not for the inexperienced. And they will charge you for the privilege of being incompetent.

Karen · 8 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Highly recommend Laura and her team at William H Brown in Watton. Very professional and went out of their way to make our move quick and smooth even during the pandemic. They're also a very genuine company, we forgot about a refund that was due but they soon reminded us and we got it through swiftly. Thank you for helping us move to our dream house, we are extremely grateful.PositiveProfessionalism

Grace · 26 October 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Bunch of illiterate clowns - don't waste your time!

Staff apparently not able to read or write or dislexic! I asked for a an email to confirm the date of my valuation - didn't receive one because the illiterate on the other end of the phone seemed incapable of writing the address down, despite me repeating it several times! He then proceeded to talk over me to blank my response, causing me to raise my voice in order to be heard - still haven't had a response from them!

David · 26 July 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Brown by name, brown by nature

I was interested in viewing a house marketed by William H Brown, but because the listing contained no information at all about services or council tax, I emailed the branch a list of questions. This was ignored.Several days later, to follow up, I 'phoned to ask the same questions. I was told that someone would call me back within the hour. No one did.I 'phoned again after three hours, was given the same story, and the same result. No one at WHB could be bothered in the slightest. Business must be good.I gave up and went somewhere else.

Owl · 20 July 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

This is an appalling estate agents…

This is an appalling estate agents company who do nothing but constantly harass you everyday to get you set up in absolute dubbed properties to rent from my experience, plus their attitude is very pushy and rude too as they fail to always reply to your messages or needs so stear clear of this organisation - DON'T CHOOSE THEM!!! May I also add that cause of their blackmailing to get me into a property that had a history of mould on one side of the back to back property, it has increased my asthma condition which they were asked about before but no honest answer was given so thank you tripe heads for your lack of care towards health

Quentin · 16 July 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

My late cousin's property came on the market at the wrong time of the year and in a difficult market. Yet all the staff at Watton did an excellent job in selling this bungalow at an acceptable price and kept me informed every step of the way. A very satisfactory outcome, thank you.

Alex · 9 April 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

(Beware frist time buyers) My self and my panter are first time buyers and view a property with william h brown (watton office)and the property was what we liked so a offer was submitted and accepted on the grounds where the boiler was as we couldn't be showed to us on the viewing but was assured it was a combi boiler on the viewing after we done our own research we found out it had a back boiler which is between 5-10 thousand pound to be replaced with a new combi.property had been on the market for over 6 months so how they didn't no this is beyond me also they push the solicitors on to use to get the ball rolling and wanting a deposit from us before they could confirm the boiler situation. Will add the listing stated nothing about a boiler. Very poor from a big company and will definitely not go with william h brown or recommend them to anyone.NegativeQuality, Professionalism

Thomas · 26 October 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Absolutely terrible

Absolutely terrible. We agreed to the purchase of a flat, but after four months, our solicitors informed us that the seller didn’t even have a copy of the lease. This oversight by William H. Brown wasted our money and time , as they didn’t check the details before listing the property.As a goodwill gesture, they showed us another flat before it went on the market. We made an offer via email, it was accepted, and we were told we could proceed if we completed the survey within a week. We did the survey, secured a mortgage offer, and then found out that a neighbour put an higher offer, and the sellers decided to go with that, even though they had signed a contract with William H Brown. We had no rejection of offer or correspondence whatsoever .They wasted our time and money and unprofessional behavior with constant blame-shifting. I do not recommend William H. Brown at all. Please read all the reviews or speak to ex buyers you will be amazed before considering them .

DoDi · 9 July 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

AVOID AVOID AVOID

A dreadful experience. Lots of promising words at the start but once you’re signed up nothing, no contact all. As an example, they promised to send round a professional photographer but took a few photos on their phone for “office use”. Next thing I know those crappy phone photos are online. When selling a house, the first month is when you get the most interest and I lost out on that due to W H Brown lack of enthusiasm and engagement. I will never use them again.

Steve · 8 July 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

If I could give minus stars I would. They are criminals.

Our experience with William H Brown has been absolutely horrific from start to finish. This is genuinely the worst letting experience we have ever had, and the level of negligence, dishonesty, and disregard for tenants’ wellbeing has been unbelievable.

Rebekah · 3 December 2025