CASTLES Residential Sales & Lettings is celebrating a special milestone after reaching 15 years in business.

The Swindon-based independent estate agent was established in July 2002.

In their first few years, Castles built up a client list almost exclusively based on word-of-mouth recommendations. A significant breakthrough was made when Cartus, the leading provider of global relocation services, enlisted Castles as its exclusive representative for Swindon. A further seal of approval followed when the Relocation Agent Network and the Guild of Professional Estate Agents followed Cartus’s lead.

The upward trajectory continued with winning the Wiltshire Small Business of the Year award in 2007.

Castles expanded its operation in 2008 to include a comprehensive lettings service. Consistent with their overall business model, the lettings service has proved to be a strong success.

Further recognition of excellence followed when Castles scooped the Relocation Agent Network’s Best Agent regional award for Wiltshire in 2011 and 2012.

In 2015, Castles took home the prizes for the Best Sales Agent and the Best Lettings Agent in Swindon at the allAgents Awards.

Mark Noble, managing director at Castles, said: “When you the read the statistics of how many companies don’t make it past 12 months and then five and 10 years, I am extremely proud that after 15 successful years we are still offering vendors, purchasers, landlords and tenants the very best property journey.

“The fact that we are well on our way to achieving 4,000 exchange of contracts is testament to the longevity of our success.”