About Athelstans
When Athelstans, a lettings agency covering Cornwall and West Devon, launched in 2013 under founder Ellie Phillott, it set out to offer a respectful, professional and people-focused approach to renting property. Over the years, that commitment to service has shaped the agency’s reputation as a trusted local specialist in the region’s rental market.
The Challenge
As demand for a modern, seamless digital experience continued to grow, Athelstans recognised that their online presence needed to reflect the same level of care and professionalism they deliver day-to-day.
They wanted a website that showcased their brand, improved usability for landlords and tenants, and strengthened their position in a competitive market, leading them to partner with Spectre Websites.
Athelstans needed a website solution that could simplify daily operations and reduce reliance on slow, costly third-party support. When their previous website required updates, this was managed externally and often caused delays when they were needing to be promptly addressing industry updates. This has been a particular issue over the past 12 months with key changes driven by the Renters’ Rights Act.
As Ellie explains, the previous website
“lacked the ability to change information rapidly, changing content would have taken three days with our external website provider.”
Athelstans needed a platform that was flexible, fast, and fully within their control.
The Solution
When exploring alternatives, Ellie was immediately drawn to Spectre Websites for its ability to consolidate multiple systems into a single, seamless platform, complete with direct integration with Street.co.uk.
With this setup, listings go live instantly, updates sync automatically, and enquiries, valuations, and viewing bookings feed straight into the team’s enquiry centre and calendars, streamlining day-to-day operations.
Ellie explained,
“Choosing Spectre Websites meant one less thing to operate. Bringing all our tools into one system has been a game-changer, if it works, why spread it out over other suppliers!?”
This streamlined setup and reduced the need to juggle separate tools, freeing the team to focus more on clients.
Ellie found the entire website-building process effortless and so streamlined that it was completed in just two focused working days.
The copywriting and upload time needed were “mere minutes", with Ellie noting,
“It’s never been easier to do it yourself, the entire website’s been written so that search engines including those powered by AI can find it as well.”
Ellie also highlighted that updating content could be done instantly, taking “seconds instead of days with the previous website.” She described this as a key win, allowing the team to keep landlords up to date with important industry updates.
Ellie praised the intuitive, drag-and-drop interface, calling it “super simple” and “Wix-like,” adding,
“I love that I could just drop that in, done, without the hassle of third-party involvement.”
The combination of speed, flexibility, and integration means Athelstans can now respond rapidly to legislative changes, market trends, and client needs, all from a single, easy-to-manage platform.
The Results
The adoption of Spectre Websites has enabled Athelstans to future-proof their business by giving them the ability to update information quickly as the market changes.
The biggest operational improvement has been the consolidation of multiple systems into one seamless platform, creating a far more streamlined workflow.
Ellie also highlighted the platform being cost effective, noting that
“initial setup fees for websites cost thousands, Spectre allows even a brand-new agent to have a website with the same quality as the big corporations with big budgets.”
Ellie went on to describe the system as “very accessible to everybody,” highlighting that the website itself is “super quick” and crucially integrates all essential tools into a single platform.
Having everything in one system with a seamless Street.co.uk integration, means the agency can manage listings, update content all whilst reducing errors, saving time, and allowing the team to focus entirely on delivering excellent service to clients.
