“A much-loved institution” – 50 years of ESPC through the eyes of a solicitor
Leslie Deans, founder of Deans Properties, has been a practising solicitor for much of the time that ESPC has existed. He offers his thoughts on why ESPC was so popular then and remains so today, and discusses some of the major changes at the property marketing company over the past half-century.
“I graduated in 1972, a year after ESPC was formed, and joined a firm where one of the partners was the Chairman of ESPC. I have therefore been involved in ESPC all of my professional life,” Leslie said.
He is positive about the impact of ESPC on the local property market, saying: “ESPC still is a tremendous tool for all concerned. I pay tribute to those who founded ESPC all those years ago when it moved forward under the very able chairmanship of Tom Drysdale.
“ESPC is a much-loved institution on the local property scene – the public think that, solicitors think that, and other professionals think that.”
Looking back to the early seventies, the property and law sectors were very different to how they are now. Leslie commented that when he first became a solicitor it was “a different era”.
What made ESPC popular with the public?
When ESPC formed back in 1971, Leslie says the organisation became popular from the outset. But what made it so popular?
Leslie said: “It was a lot of things, but one that stood out was that someone could go into the ESPC Showroom and not be immediately subject to the hard sell or people pushing them to look at properties. They wanted information and could get advice on their terms at ESPC.
“You could also get so much information under one roof – there was no other building in Edinburgh where you could see so many properties. And as the years went by, more services were developed for the public including ‘Ask the Experts' where people could sit down with a solicitor in a relaxed environment, and it wouldn’t cost them any money.
Leslie also believes that the fact ESPC is made up of mainly small, local solicitor estate agents is an appealing factor to the general public.
What have been some of the biggest changes at ESPC over the years?
Of course, there have been many changes at ESPC over the past 50 years – but which of those stands out the most to Leslie?
“I remember the paper starting. It was important to have a publication that came out on a regular basis that gave you information and listed properties. ESPC managed to supply that for the public and within a short time, the demand from clients to have their properties listed in it was huge. It was a fantastic success and remained that way until the advent of the computer age. What’s more, the paper was completely free-of-charge to the public.
“As more people got things online, the demand for a printed property paper subsided. However, again, ESPC was able to adapt and move forward with the introduction and development of espc.com"
The value of ESPC and solicitor estate agents today
Fast forward to the present day and the property sector has experienced significant change and upheaval in the last year due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. However, Leslie believes the value of ESPC agents continues to remain strong.
“The last year has been a learning process for all of us. However, the professionalism of all organisations involved in the safe reopening of the property market last June, such as ESPC and property solicitors, has helped ensure that the property market has been able to continue functioning. The important thing is we’ve managed to keep going.”
ESPC has changed much over the past 50 years, but in the eyes of Leslie it remains a much-loved institution by solicitors and the public. “Here’s to the next 50 years!” he exclaimed.
50 years of ESPC
As part of our 50th birthday celebrations, we're running a series of articles on 50 years of ESPC and the Scottish property market. Follow us on Facebook or sign up to our email newsletter to find out about the next one.
