Selling, letting and surveying since 1828

Timeline

Bracketts' History in the UK

We are the oldest firm of Chartered Surveyors and Estate Agents in West Kent so we have witnessed many things in the course of our long history. See how we fit in with local and national historic milestones below:

1800

1828

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington becomes Prime Minister.

1828

Bracketts Founded

1834

Conservative Party formed

1837

Queen Victoria becomes Queen

1850

1868

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) formed as Institution of Surveyors

1867

William Brackett purchases our current Tunbridge Wells offices 27 – 29 High Street (formerly Henry Sawyer’s House Agency)

1873

William Brackett manages the sale of Dornden Estate for Princess Louise (Queen Victoria’s 6th child)

1881

RICS received the Royal charter as The Surveyors' Institution on 26 August 1881

1900

1900

Labour Party Founded

1918

Women over 30 allowed to vote

1928

Bracketts 100-year anniversary

1945

Britain become founded member of the United Nations

1950

1954

Landlord and Tenant Act introduced to govern rights and obligations of business tenancies

1952

Queen Elizabeth II acceded to the throne

1955

Former Bracketts Senior Partner William Brackett OBE TD elected as president of the RICS

1962

National Association of Estate Agents formed

1968

RICS 100-year anniversary

1970

Bracketts acquire Long Surveyors and open Tonbridge office

1978

Bracketts 150-year anniversary

1979

Margaret Thatcher elected as UK’s first female prime minster

1979

Estates Agent Act 1979 introduced

1989

World Wide Web invented

2000

2022

Bracketts 194-year anniversary

2022

King Charles III ascends to the throne

Sam E.

We've just finished a tenancy with Bracketts and found the overall experience very positive. We had come from a rather negative experience with our previous letting agents in London and Bracketts were much more professional.

We had some viewings with other agents in Tunbridge Wells. One of these agents had stated that we would need to return for a followup interview with the landlord before our application would be considered, and that we should consider what we would to "incentivise" the landlord to go with us in terms of offering a higher rent to compete with other applicants. Needless to say, we did not proceed with that agent.

At our viewing with Bracketts they made it clear they didn't endorse betting wars on the part of the tenants: the price listed was the price that would go forwards. They were responsive throughout the tenancy, and though the building had a few age-related issues, Brackett's responded as well as possible.

Highly recommended if you're looking to rent in the area.

Luke M.

Very helpful, got my survey sorted here. Recommend :)

Response from the owner:Hi Luke - thanks for the great feedback and 5 star review for Tyson and our survey team who all send their best wishes. If we can help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. Best wishes from the whole team :)

Keith M.

Selling our house through Bracketts has been a positive experience. Matt and Holly gave good advice when needed . A few challenges cropped up during the process which were dealt with smoothly. I would be happy to recommend Bracketts

Response from the owner:Thank you for your comments. It certainly had its challenges along the way and thanks for being patient. I am glad we managed to get there in the end. All the best for the future and we will keep in communications regarding the other sales.

Nigel C.

Matthew Saxby was our contact point at Bracketts. It was the second time we have trusted Matt to sell a house for us. Our property was outside of Tonbridge area, but Matt was still confident he could sell our house. It was not a straightforward transaction, and there were a few bumps in the road, but Matt was tenacious and solved problems, suggested alternatives and finally achieved the sale. Marketing of property was excellent, his market knowledge was critical. All calls and emails answered promptly, and the support team were brilliant too, with special thanks to Holly and Janice.

Response from the owner:Good evening, thanks for your comments Nigel it was a pleasure working with you again. I know we had a few bumps in the road but we overcame these and came out the other side. I wish you all the best for the future and I look forward to having a coffee in your new home.

John G

Probably not the easiest of property transactions ever performed but dealing with Bracketts made things an awful lot easier. Very helpful and efficient from start to finish, the whole team went considerably above and beyond to make sure of a successful outcome.

Response from the owner:Many thanks for your feedback John. We are glad we managed to remain consistent throughout the transaction and work with you and the family through various hurdles. We wish you all the best for the future.

Simon H

I would happily recommend Bracketts. Holly has worked tirelessly throughout the process of selling my father’s flat. Thank you.

Response from the owner:Thank you for your feedback Simon. Your comments mean a lot. We will be sure to congratulate Holly and the Tonbridge team.

Linsey O.

Bracketts dealt with the sale of my property and the purchase of my new property in an efficient, and business like manner. Holly remained calm at all times! I would certainly recommend.

Response from the owner:Many thanks for your feedback. We are so pleased we managed to act for your sale and purchase. We hope you are very happy in your new home.

Sam W.

Bracketts were a massive help in purchasing our first house. Harry helped us every step and his colleagues were fantastic too

Response from the owner:Many thanks for your feedback.

Stephen K.

Selling our house through Bracketts was a very positive experience. Holly in particular was a pleasure to work with. There were several repairs needed before completion and she arranged these for us very efficiently. Excellent service.

Response from the owner:We are pleased we managed to get your home sold. I will let the team know about your comments and appreciate the review.