Hunters opened their spacious new offices and showroom in York - and launched a television advert on the same night. Brian Page went along...

THERE is an air of theatre about the room and not just because there is a murmuring, expectant crowd sipping wine and nibbling nibbles in an auditorium-sized space.

For we are indeed awaiting a series of theatrical events, the official opening of Hunters’ plush new headquarters – and a debut advert on national television.

Small wonder, then, that there is an air of excitement among the audience, a mix of Hunters staff in branded blue and around 100 favoured guests in elegant attire.

This is a fair crowd but they are easily accommodated in the sweep of open-plan spaces that sprawl gently across the ground floor of this smart office suite.

Everything here is glistening, stylish, svelte, contemporary and, well, chic… It was not always this way, as Kevin Hollinrake is to explain in his speech before the official opening.

Hunters started life in 1992 with Kevin and John Waterhouse as the founding fathers.

Their original office then was not quite so impressive as their new one now.

“I remember once talking to a client in the old office we had and the desk started to wobble all over the place,” Kevin said. “John leaned down and put his shoulder against it and kept it steady until we were finished…”

It’s an endearing, amusing, image. But you can’t imagine anything so rickety as a wobbly table being allowed into this bright new Hunters home.

Although some things don’t change. Kevin and John are still in partnership and still broad-shouldering the world.

This national advert will be a first for the company but it is not their first foray into national competition.

Kevin warmly, and a little wryly, remembers the moment when they first opened an office in London and startled the southern competition.

“They didn’t like it at all,” he says. “They viewed us as northern upstarts, I think.”

Upstarts is hardly a tag you could now use.

Last year, Hunters became the fastest-growing independent franchised estate agent in the country, opening 37 new branches – and that growth is set to continue into 2015 with plans for a further 50-plus openings.

Not that it is all about size, Kevin insists. “It is not just about being the biggest estate agency, it is about being the best. I believe that much of our success lies in our infrastructure – our independently owned franchised branches are run by business owners who are experts in their own local area, which gives our customers real value.”

The audience tonight is certainly getting good value and the expectancy is growing as the countdown begins to the advertising premiere.

It’s scheduled to air in the first advertising break during Grand Designs on More 4, so we are watching the show’s laconic presenter Kevin McCloud talking silently on a large screen.

The audience, perhaps unconsciously, is edging forward, people easing their way to the front, seeking the best spots for the show. The hubble-bubble of conversations slowly dies away.

And then the advert is on.

The gentle strains of background music, scenes of family life, life stages, life moments – all very warmly presented with a smooth script that leads you gently to the promotional campaign slogan: “We are here to get you there…”

Beautifully done and met with a fine round of applause.

And then, warmed by the wine, it’s time for the cutting of the ribbon, to be performed by the company’s longest serving employee, Liz Peacock and John Waterhouse, “our oldest full-time employee,” as Kevin jokes with the emphasis on oldest.

The ribbon is cut and the assembled guests give a hearty cheer and the evening’s entertainment is over.

A bravura performance, we all agree.

• The new Hunters show home and office suite is based in Apollo House, Eboracum Way, Heworth Green and is open seven days a week (Phone: 01904 621026).

Win £5,000...

To celebrate the opening and the national TV advertisement Hunters are giving you the chance to win £5,000 towards your first home in their Here To Get You There competition. To enter and to view the ground-breaking Hunters advert, visit the website at heretogetyouthere.huntersnet.co.uk