INVOLVEMENT in 300 new homes sales at four developments over five years put Bryant Homes' negotiator Eve Lloyd in the spotlight at the developers' national sales conference.

Gold medal athlete Kriss Akabusi presented Eve with her trophy (pictured) and Red Letter Day prize in front of 400 delegates and completely took her breath away.

Eve, who lives in Guildford and now works on the Bryant Homes latest Basingstoke development at Cliddesden Reach, said: "I had absolutely no idea that awards were going to be made, never mind actually winning one. Then to be presented with it by Kriss Akabusi was just the icing on the cake."

Eve works for Halifax new homes and, since being based on Bryant Homes developments since 1998, has sold properties to every sort of house buyer, from investors to families and first-time buyers to downsizers.

And since 1998, Bryant Homes - part of the Taylor Woodrow group - has built nearly 600 homes in Basingstoke, 300 of which were on the now-completed Gabriel Park in Kempshott.

The developer's new site is on Kempshott Park, where it is building 165 homes and keeping up an impressive sales rate even before the show homes open.

Work on Cliddesden Reach only started this summer, but already most of the apartments on Cliddesden Reach are occupied, 28 of the first 48 releases on houses have been reserved and the first completions are scheduled for November and December.

Lorraine Williamson, regional sales manager for Halifax new homes, said: "It's incredible and it's all down to the strength of the team. We are expecting sales to accelerate with the opening of the show homes."

The Fairfield, Crondall and Fencott show houses are set to throw open their doors early in the New Year to kick off the 2004 market. The whole development is on target for the build-and-sell programme to be completed by the end of 2004.

Mrs Williamson said: "The Basingstoke new homes market is buoyant but purchasers are looking carefully at value for money."

For that reason, Bryant Homes has introduced incentives on selected plots such as mortgage holidays, stamp duty paid and part exchange.

The finished development will have a selection of two-bedroomed apartments and a range of house styles - from two to four bedrooms and built as terraces, semi-detached, detached and three-storey town houses.

The current release all comes from the three and four-bedroomed range, with prices starting from £190,000 and rising to £375,000.