Diary of an estate agent: Brentford

Monday
Gym at 6am, for my spinning class, and into the branch to catch up with the landlord of a block of 14 newly converted apartments who has agreed to rent them all to us on a long-term contract on the basis that we will arrange individual sub-tenancies.

An exciting first for the company, but the focus now is on the paperwork before the deal is finalised.

Later in the day I meet with our senior management team to review the progress we are making in our five-year plan to expand our branch network.

Tuesday
A local artist hand-delivers a personalised graphic print of the Hoover Building, which I will have couriered this afternoon to the developer who converted this landmark icon into apartments recently, the majority of which we let out.

A little token of thanks at the beginning of what we hope is a long relationship, both with the developer and the local artist!

I spend time after lunch with a landlord who is looking for advice on how to invest a recent inheritance.

With my background in new homes sales and experience in lettings, I guide him through the various local developments and we discuss the relative merits of Crossrail, the River Thames and outstanding primary schools!

Wednesday
With my first wedding anniversary approaching, I chat with the manager of a local independent cinema, which I have hired to screen our wedding video highlights to our friends and family.

With the finishing touches we are discussing, it’s set to be a fantastic celebration! Back in branch, I spend time with a couple of new starters, coaching them on their applicant registration technique to hone the first impression they make.

In the past three years we have doubled the size of the company and this growth shows no sign of slowing down. Before heading home I deal with requests for help from two build-to-rent developers whose current agents are struggling to find tenants.

Our experience and track record in this market makes me confident we can let the remaining units.

Thursday
Following an early-morning roam around Osterley Park with Bella, my pomeranian-chihuahua, I meet our area managers for breakfast to agree targets for the month ahead.

Next it’s a meeting of the company’s charity committee, who are overflowing with research, ideas and enthusiasm to support local community causes.

After a takeaway lunch from my favourite local Turkish restaurant, I open my teams’ data dashboard and begin crunching numbers.

I love to champion efficiency, and with the competitive band of brokers we have in the company, the more metrics they can use to chart their performance, the more results they produce.

Friday
I attended an excellent workshop last month centred around creating and maintaining an elite team. With this very much at the forefront of my mind, in a training session with our broker teams this morning, we brainstorm how we can embody our company values of positivity, discipline and focus to become the best of the best.

We are sponsoring a local festival this weekend, so I roll up my sleeves to pack our gazebo and promotional materials into the van, including five hundred branded fairy cakes and a fresh batch of 20 crisp white company polo shirts for our team members who are volunteering.

Fingers crossed for the weather, the weekend’s set to be a hot one!