Brown & Co St Lucia office seeing surge in UK demand

Now, more than 20 years later, the business says a fresh wave of burned out Brits are ditching the UK for sunnier shores.

The Caribbean might be the last place you’d expect a Norwich-based estate agent to be running an office.

But for Brown & Co, which was founded and remains headquartered in Norfolk, the tropical island of St Lucia has been an integral part of daily operations since 2005.  

Brown & Co has seen higher demand for property in St Lucia since Covid (Image: Brown & Co)

The firm’s managing partner Charles Whitaker first visited more than 25 years ago, and thanks to his property expertise, was invited by the St Lucian government to consult on a study into the island’s market potential.

A couple of years later, Brown & Co opened an office in Castries - the country’s capital.

And while the firm said business had been booming ever since, office manager Asnia Ste Marie added that interest had skyrocketed post-pandemic.

St Lucia office manager Asnia Ste Marie (Image: Brown & Co)

“After Covid a lot of people re-evaluated their lives and appreciated that they needed to relax and slow down.

“St Lucia gives them that opportunity to slow down and take in the sunshine, beaches, and the ambience.”

While many people buying property on the island are looking for second homes, a large proportion are also choosing to spend their retirement out there.

With no visa requirements for British citizens, Ms Ste Marie said moving from the UK was a simple process, and helping people to navigate it was a large part of her job at Brown & Co.

She added: “Having an actual office out here is our USP. Other UK companies sell property in St Lucia, but they don’t have people actually living here to help at every stage.

“It's an incredible thing to be able to offer!”