Luxury Property Industry Leaders - In Conversation with Alex Willcocks (Burbeck)
Priya Rawal, Founder and CEO of The Luxury Property Forum sits down with Industry Leader:
Alex Willcocks, Founder and Managing Director of Burbeck
Hi Alex it is so great to sit down with you today. We are so pleased to have you within The Luxury Property Forum. Could you tell us a little more about Burbeck?
Founded by myself and my brother Jack with over 20 years experience in property development, Burbeck is an award-winning luxury home staging, interior design and property consultancy business. We focus on three main areas:
1) Staging - Home Staging & Bespoke Show Homes
We are experts at propelling a property’s appeal by presenting them in their full potential with our bespoke furniture and accessories rental service.
2) Turnkey Furniture Solutions - Bespoke Furniture Purchase Schemes (FF&E) & Rental-for-use
We curate beautiful and usable furniture schemes delivered within short time frames that can meet any requirement, be it for annual rental or purchase.
3) Interior Design & Interior Architecture
A completely personal, on-to-one service which encapsulates all elements of interior architecture & design, fully budgeted, managed and designed by our award-winning team.
In 2021 Burbeck were the winners of 2 UK property awards, Best Redevelopment in the UK for our own development of 5 apartments in South-West London and Best Interior Showroom London (£3.5-5million).
And what inspired you to start Burbeck?
As property developers we were struggling to find a company with the ethos and of the same quality as our developments. We wanted a home staging business with exceptional product, unique design and first in class client service. All the other staging businesses were offering a ‘take it or leave it approach,’ where all their dressings essentially looked the same.
My brother and I decided to turn this on its head and take a bespoke approach to staging, judging an asset on its merits to create an interior to appeal to its’ specific target demographics.
The results speak for themselves, 88% of the properties we staged in Prime Central London in 2021 went under offer within 3.5 weeks.
Thats amazing and what an achievement! What would you say sets you apart as an industry leader from others in the luxury property sector?
The ethos behind our family business has always been one of transparency, superior quality, attention to detail and providing best in class service; we developed our brand to represent these qualities.
We source high quality and ethical products and monitor and challenge trends seen in various design-focused cities. Much of Burbeck's furniture is handmade and the team often commission bespoke pieces from market-leading designers.
We believe better design leads to better results, and I feel that is substantiated by our track record in facilitating our client’s sales process.
We couldn’t agree more! So Alex, tell me, what is a typical day in your working life?
After rising at 5am with the kids (we are all early birds in the Willcocks household) I take my English bulldog for a walk before getting into our office in Southwest London for 8am.
My day is always varied however there is a coherent theme which is sales. I spend the morning interacting with the various departments, logistics, design, operations to hear any updates but my desk is with the sales team. I focus on strategic partnerships for the business, whilst maintaining a list or private development clients. I’m super competitive so always want to be the top producer.
Competitivenes is a great thing. Please could you tell us a little bit about the challenges you have had in your your business so far?
Taking the business from 3- 30 employees within the last 5 years has been a challenge; at any significant growth period, we have needed to invest in infrastructure to support the additional people in those roles. Integrating the location of our Head Office, sales and design teams with our in-house logistics team and warehouse facilities transformed our business: we all operate under the same roof. Our large team of designers are able to collaborate on projects and interact with our stock so that they are constantly generating fresh and creative new ideas.
Covid of course was an utter nightmare but our priority as an employer was to ensure that we kept all our staff employed as we rode out the storm.
Well done for riding out that storm. So, what are some of the highlights you have experienced since starting Burbeck?
It’s easy to underestimate how hard running a business can be, so it’s important to enjoy the highlights when they come along. We have been fortunate to receive a few awards which are a culmination of everyone’s hard work throughout various areas of the business over the past 2 years of the pandemic.
Best London Show Home – UK Property Awards
Best London Re-Development (a Burbeck Development) – UK Property Awards
Best Re-Development UK (a Burbeck Development) – UK Property Awards
Best Luxury Staging Project (interior value) over £20,000 – Home Staging Association
Best Show Home over £10,000 – Home Staging Association
Best Vacant Home Staging Over £10,000 – Home Staging Association
Best SME in Richmond Borough – London Chamber of Commerce
When the government set up the Nightingale Hospitals in 2020, we were asked if we could donate any furniture to the NHS especially to help create a calming space for the doctors and nurses to relax when they were not on the ward. It was a huge privilege to be able to assist with this and all the other CSR projects Burbeck gets involved in.
Some real achievements and you must be very proud. Alex what or who inspires you?
My family are my greatest inspiration. Everything I do is for them, and they constantly motivate me to be better. When the going is good, it is easy to have the energy and drive to deal with the challenges of running and building a company. My family are the ones who give me the strength to continue when times are tough.
And what advice do you have for people looking to become an industry leader in the luxury property?
Patience is an underrated virtue. Success and credibility take time, we live in a society obsessed with instant gratification and this is starting to infect our businesses and careers. There is a weight of expectation on becoming an overnight success, and generating significant revenue from the very beginning. The reality however is that respect and growth, both personal and professional take time to build.
Sage advice indeed. And In an ideal world, what does the future hold for you and Burbeck?
In a word ‘growth’. Whilst we haven’t reinvented the wheel and the service existed prior to Burbeck, we have positioned ourselves to grow the business in line with the market itself. Home Staging and Property Styling is still a niche product compared to what exists in oversees markets such as America or Australia. We are committed to growing the market and will continue to highlight the massive success our clients enjoy through presenting their properties in the best light ready for market.
We continue to partner with associations such as the Luxury Property Forum to raise the profile our industry and become the go-to brand for the luxury property market.
Fantastic! And finally, what does “luxury” mean to you?
Luxury means time. Time is our most valuable commodity. To have the time to do what I want when I want will be greatest luxury.
get in touch
https://burbeckinteriors.com
T: 0208 892 4577
M: 07899 798 351
E: info@burbeckinteriors.com