Shrubb Realty

A family business founded by Roderick DeCouto in 1979, it is now under the stewardship of second and third generations. Judy Shrubb, daughter of the late Roderick DeCouto, is the president of the company and she and her husband, Peter Shrubb, have owned and managed the company for the past 23 years. The couple’s children, Matt Shrubb and Kristin Ahmed, are both agents.

While much has changed over the years, the family’s passion for real estate has remained a constant, says Judy Shrubb. “It’s not a job to us—it’s a lifestyle. You can’t imagine how gratifying it is when we have a buyer and a seller, both very happy and satisfied at the end of the transaction.

“We help people to get their first home, or to sell and downsize to a smaller place for retirement, or to buy a family home with a place for their mother to live—we spend a lot of time with our clients learning about their family life. Our strength is that we really care that we find them the right property.”

Personalised service from agents passionate about their work is part of Shrubb Realty’s equation for an elevated customer experience.

Another critical element is providing the digital tools that meet today’s customers’ expectations of convenience, responsiveness and instant information. The company has a slick and easily navigable website featuring property listings with numerous images, maps with street-view options, floor plans and overhead drone views. Shrubb also utilises QR codes to enable easy access to property details. And it has also implemented an app from Matterport, a company that specialises in 3D imagery and virtual tours, which allows interested parties to “walk through” a property while sitting at their computer.

Matt Shrubb, who has a mechanical engineering background, led the implementation of technological upgrades. “People these days book flights, hire cars and do their shopping on their phones and computers,” Shrubb says, “In keeping with the twenty-first century way of life, we wanted to give our clients as many digital resources as possible.

“We strive to offer full transparency of all real estate information to our clients. On our website, you will also find estimators for purchase and sale transaction costs, as well as mortgage affordability. We try to utilise technology to assist our clients with every aspect of the buying and selling process.”

From the change of the company trade name from Roderick DeCouto Real Estate to new technological advancements, Judy Shrubb gives full credit to her son and daughter for changing the way they do business in today’s world and for keeping them relevant. The other agents on the diverse and experienced Shrubb Realty team are Thad Crouch, Jeff Payne, Barbara Willis, Linda Tailford, Diana Heslop and Denton Outerbridge. They handle residential and commercial sales and rentals. Most members of the team have more than three decades of real estate experience. Matt Shrubb’s grounding in mechanical engineering and Kristin Ahmed’s interior design background have brought relevant knowledge to the group.

The company’s longstanding membership in the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Real Estate Division—Judy Shrubb has served on its executive committee for more than 20 years and served a tenure as chairperson —keeps the firm attuned to local market conditions. And the firm’s membership with the National Association of Realtors equips the team with knowledge of the real estate industry worldwide.

Shrubb’s compact operation gives it a distinct advantage over larger players, Judy Shrubb maintains. “Our smaller team of agents enables us to be cohesive and communicative on a daily basis. As each and every listing is important to us, our team effort provides valuable information and experience to service each client most effectively.”