I always knew that one day I would return to work in the High Street which had been such an integral part of my life. My family bought its first house in Whitton back in 1969 and since then, whether living at one end of the High Street or the other, my ties have remained strong.

As a young boy I was taught in its schools, played football on its pitches and worked in its shops. And indeed my first start in the world of estate agency was given to me by a company based in the High Street, in fact the very shop which Matthew Swing & Partners operates in, a nice omen awarded by the street I know so well.

My return to Whitton came after leaving the community to work at the top level of the estate agency world, where until recently I was a director for one of the biggest agencies in the country. However, after years of growing disillusionment in the way such businesses were run, putting shareholder value before honesty, integrity, community and family values, I knew it was time to start a new agency in a place that I know, amongst friends that I grew up with. It was time to start a new agency business designed to offer a customer-driven service which would go above and beyond to break the sometimes tarnished image of the world of estate agency.

Matthew Swing & Partners always aims to be a very different breed of company from the ones currently working in our High Street. Our family-run business offers the latest technology to buy and sell properties, using plasma screen TVs to entice buyers in, with a fully interactive website to allow a virtual visit to potential houses, hopefully saving some of those wasted visits to unsuitable properties. But our service is much more that just utilising the latest technology. Customers can benefit from our years of experience in this marketplace, our local knowledge of buyers and sellers, and our aim to match the correct buyers and sellers together for the right reasons, rather than being driven by sales targets and commission structures.

Living and working in Whitton's community has put me where I am today and I am very proud to be part of it. Matthew Swing & Partners aims to establish itself as part of this community, and also give something back too, with sponsorship monies offered to local schools. With a busy housing marketing in this affluent area, our High Street is crying out for a new type of agency which will put its customers first. And we will always aim to be that agency, and serve Whitton's community once more.

Yours faithfully Matthew Swing