Diary of an estate agent: Chelsea

A local American family are looking to buy a Victorian townhouse and Elton John’s Greatest Hits helps the team to discuss the South Kensington property market...
18 July 2018

MONDAY

A strong coffee from Orée on Fulham Road is what’s required for my walk to our team meeting at our office in Chelsea SW10.

I have been invited to see a beautiful five-bedroom early Victorian townhouse in Thurloe Street a little later, valued at about £8.5 million. I am very keen for us to list this exclusively.

One of the SW10 team already has a potential buyer interested who wants to get through the door this afternoon, so the joint meeting has served its purpose.

The interested buyers are a lovely local American family, who are currently renting nearby and now taking the opportunity to buy.

TUESDAY

A quick regroup with my sales team at our 8am meeting leads to discussions on outstanding offers, interested buyers and motivated sellers.

The South Kensington market is a little tricky at the moment due to continued uncertainty so we often have to put our heads together to get a sale across the line.

Even so, the atmosphere in the office is great and Elton John’s Greatest Hits are on the jukebox to add to the buzz.

We start calling our buyers about a beautiful first-floor flat in Cranley Gardens that recently had a price reduction.

After a busy day, I’m off to Hyde Park to meet a few of my fellow rugby-playing colleagues.

We have the National Surveyors Rugby Sevens tournament coming up and we are determined to win.

WEDNESDAY

I have the pleasure of listing a four-bedroom raised and lower ground-floor flat which has been in the same family since 1971.

The property has direct access to Wetherby Gardens, many original period features and loads of charm.

Gems like this are rare to the market and need to be handled with care. A property is someone’s home, where fond memories have been built over many years.

After a long chat with our clients we agree a good strategy for marketing, and getting the apartment ready to sell.

THURSDAY

Making an+ early start at 6am, I set off to the gym in Pelham Street. I am trying something called Tabata, which is high-intensity interval training.

It sounds terrifying but it’s a great way to get the blood flowing and stay energised throughout the day.

One of my team is on holiday this week so I have taken over their diary and I am out and about all day with buyers.

I show seven properties to an expat over from Dubai looking for a pied-à-terre in the Royal Borough. It is 27C and I quickly realise a light blue shirt was a poor choice this morning.

Sadly no luck today but we’ll gear up for her next visit in three weeks’ time.

FRIDAY

A productive week of viewings, phone calls and market appraisals has resulted in four offers and four new listings of all shapes and sizes, big and small, including agreeing for sale a two-bedroom flat

  • Ed Boden is head of sales at Strutt & Parker in South Kensington (020 7581 7000).

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