Bradley Stoke Office

Molly Swingler

Lettings Negotiator

Molly is the newest member of the Lettings team at the Bradley Stoke office and is looking forward to establishing herself within her role. With a background in sales, Molly believes that the key to success is in providing excellent customer service to exceed client expectations. She is a friendly and ambitious character who enjoys meeting new people. Having always had an eye for property, Molly hopes to invest in properties of her own in the future. In her spare time Molly likes to go to comedy shows and play a round of golf at her local club.

Samantha Criddle

Senior Sales Negotiator

Having been part of the community in Bradley Stoke for the best part of 20 years, Sam feels fortunate to have worked for another local agency for over 15 years and is hoping to maintain the relationships built over this time. NAEA-qualified Sam has joined CJ Hole to continue in a similar role as one of our valuers and will also be overseeing all of the sales progression at the busy Bradley Stoke branch. Sam has been married for 13 years and has two daughters that both attend a local primary school. An avid reader, Sam is also writing a book and working on a screenplay when she isn’t busy with her children’s many hobbies. With Sam’s in-depth knowledge and experience, she is well placed to assist clients with all aspects of the sales process.

Steph Lowe

Sales Administrator

From the moment you meet Steph you will find it hard not to notice her warm, enthusiastic approach to estate agency. Having previously worked in the Banking industry her attention to detail and organisation is second to none, allowing her to thrive in a role that many see as the ‘Rock’ in this busy Property Centre. Having got the bug for estate agency three years ago, Steph has managed to gain experience in selling homes in many areas of North Bristol bringing her a wealth of knowledge of the area. Aside from work she is affectionately known as ‘Posh & Becks’ with her long standing partner, with them both busy building their own piece of paradise in the form of a brand new bungalow.

David Whitmee

Sales Negotiator

Although David Whitmee only joined CJ Hole in October 2009, he was previously running a hotel restaurant in Devon working 17-hour days, so he is no stranger to hard work, dedication and excellent customer service.

Sociable and a good listener, David’s experience in the hospitality industry has taught him the importance of meeting clients’ demands, regardless of how high those demands may be. He excels in client interaction, getting to know the applicants and vendors, discussing what they want and then trying to find them the perfect house. With previous sales experience also under his belt, David was proficient at understanding the needs of applicants within a few months of embarking on his new career, and his impressive sales record is testament to that.

Originally from South Africa and having spent the past 14 years living in Cornwall and Devon, David is a keen surfer and has already – rather optimistically – bought his baby daughter her first board. Knowing he now has an extra mouth to feed, he is determined to work even harder to progress his career and to strengthen the growing sales department in Bradley Stoke.

Karen Rupprecht

Lettings Manager/Director

Approachable and friendly, Karen has built up a good rapport with the landlords she deals with. Having proved she is trustworthy and reliable, delivering a high standard, landlords return to CJ Hole time and again to let their properties.

After spending 20 years as an insurance claims assessor, developing her diplomacy and customer service skills, Karen joined CJ Hole in 2006, fulfilling a long-held ambition of a career in property.

Her caring and personal attitude, as well as her in-depth knowledge of her hometown of Bristol, resulted in Karen’s speedy progression to Lettings Manager within six months of starting at the company. Since then she has steered the department from a ‘start up position’ to a thriving lettings business.

Karen’s current role primarily involves valuations, liaising with landlords to offer advice on all aspects of the letting process, and dealing with day-to-day issues. She is also studying to acquire the authority to issue Energy Performance Certificates for the HIPs – a useful attribute both for the company and for landlords.

She has achieved the technical award in residential estate agency and hopes to continue striving to obtain further qualifications in the future.

Lisa Groves

Property Manager

Tenants enjoy stress-free living thanks largely to the conscientious and hardworking Property Manager, Lisa Groves, who works closely with landlords and contractors.

With three years’ experience in Bristol lettings, Lisa joined CJ Hole in May 2009 and has strived ever since to ensure that both landlords and tenants are happy. She gained her ARLA qualification within eight weeks of taking up her first position in lettings, and has built up a solid understanding of maintenance issues and how best to deal with them.

Her experience in pub and retail management prior to her career in estate agency not only gave her excellent customer service skills, but also finely tuned her instincts about people, often identifying how they’re feeling before they do!

With four children to look after, it is a credit to Lisa’s diligence that she often works late so she doesn’t leave anything outstanding, and she endeavours to meet the expectations of both tenants and landlords.

Holly Curthoys

Senior Lettings Consultant

A valued member of the Lettings Team, Holly Curthoys boasts a wide range of experience in both sales and lettings in Bristol, complimented by a business management degree. Her knowledge of the property market, matched with her empathy for clients, makes Holly a very successful letting agent.

She has worked for CJ Hole since 2006 within the Henleaze, Thornbury and Bishopston offices, before joining the Bradley Stoke branch. Since arriving, Holly has been instrumental in the continuing success of the lettings department, helping initially to run the office as a two-person team.

Having lived in Bristol all her life, Holly can confidently advise clients on which areas might suit them, what nearby facilities are available and their probable commuting times.

Her aptitude for accounts, enhanced by her business studies, is a great asset in lettings, where transactions are at a very fast pace. Holly has achieved the technical award in residential estate agency and is currently studying for the diploma. She also won Letting Negotiator of the Year at the recent Legal and General Awards ceremony.

Matt Gregory

Sales Manager

Having eight years’ experience working in Bristol estate agencies, including running a successful independent agency, Matt Gregory was a very welcome arrival when he joined CJ Hole Bradley Stoke in August 2010.

Hard working and dedicated, Matt is always keen to do well and his commitment to his career has paid off with an impressive sales record and a respected reputation throughout the city. He is driven by his passion for property and a desire to provide for his family, wife, Shelley, and young daughter, Ava Grace.

Matt is proving to be an important asset to the bustling Bradley Stoke branch, not least because of his previous experience as a Lettings Manager, which affords him a broader view of the property market. He provides strong leadership and support to the already strong sales team, and clients can be sure of a professional and thorough service when buying or selling property in the area.

Chris Hill

Managing Director

Chris Hill has come a long way since his first job in an estate agency at just 16, when he counted tea making and photocopying amongst his top skills. Just eight years later in 1996, he became franchisee of a huge territory of Bristol for CJ Hole, proving that his early ambition to pursue a career in property was well judged.
His intuitive business sense and his understanding of how best to run an office allowed Chris to successfully expand and open up two further offices in Bradley Stoke and Bishopston. For Chris, his staff have always been vital to the success of his business.
“I’ve tried to build the business with strong customer service and high quality staff. They are key. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have good staff. We want to do things right. I’ve always wanted people who are motivated and who deliver good customer service, but they must always want to make sure we’re selling.”
Chris ensures good customer service by training his team to the best of his ability and providing them with independent training from some of the best experts in the business. He does not like to employ ‘two-dimensional’ salespeople, choosing instead good, local people with knowledge who can sell – an important distinction. He also requires his staff to have a broad knowledge and skill base so that each employee can handle every situation without having to hand over to a colleague. This provides a continuity of service that clients have come to appreciate.
As well as holding the MARLA and MNAEA qualifications, Chris took the decision that he and key members of his team would qualify as domestic energy assessors, as a way of offering a better quality of service to clients. Rather than having to employ a third party to represent CJ Hole and conduct an energy performance report, he wanted to be able to keep it in-house. This means he and his team know a lot more about each property and its energy efficiency credentials. This decision brings peace of mind to both the vendor and to himself, safe in the knowledge that a good job is being done.
A lifelong Bristolian, Chris has an unrivalled knowledge of the city and the local property market, and is in a prime position to offer clients advice and information about living in and around Bristol. He lives in Redland with his wife and three sons. Chris likes to be part of the community - even helping out with his sons' sports clubs at the weekend - when he isn't busy planning his next office expansion!