Diary of an estate agent

Have been courting a prominent Dutch company for months and was rewarded by a call asking us to find three apartments in Brentford, with the prospect of more to come.

Brentford has ambitions to become the Docklands of west London and is already moderately trendy, with some excellent pubs and restaurants and a good rail service into Waterloo.

It's also walking distance from multi-national corporations such as Gillette, Glaxo-SmithKline and Kraft foods.

Tuesday

Received an email from one of our tenants worried about an unpleasant smell in her kitchen. She also reported the oven not working, so made arrangements for someone to investigate.

Set off with the Dutch group to view a number of promising houses and apartments. They were gratifyingly complimentary about Brentford (must be an affinity with the canals), and immediately agreed one letting at £600 a week. For three years that's £93,600 rent paid up front, so I looked forward to breaking the happy news to the landlord.

Back at the office, got collared by one of our Twickenham landlords who is keen to find a tenant for his riverside cottage, but has stubbornly resisted all our advice.

I suggested (again) that the lack of interest may be down to the high rent and his insistence on putting it with too many agents, which smacks of desperation.

After an hour, he announced he'd increase the rent and try more agents, so we disinstructed ourselves.

Wednesday

Sadly, a death has been reported in the house with the smell. Our electrician found the incinerated remains of a mouse in the fan at the back of the oven.

Apparently, it bit through a wire, shorted the circuit and blew up both itself and the cooker. The electrician claimed it had died happy, but the landlord won't be when our property management manager presents him with a £550 bill for a new oven. That was one very expensive mouse.

Thursday

Could feel the tension in the office as our thoughts were with three members of staff taking their Arla (Association of Residential Letting Agents) exams in London. They are expected to pass with merit or distinction - everyone has so far, so it's a lot to live up to.

When the exam finished, one of our young property managers returned to announce he'd had at least one result. An attractive fellow candidate had caught his eye and she has agreed to go out with him tomorrow evening.

All our Dutch tenants have now found suitable apartments, but now we've got less than a fortnight to fully furnish and equip two of them.

Friday

A firm hand was required in dealing with a tenant of a £4,000-a-month house in Richmond. He had wanted the rent reduced, the landlord refused so the tenant announced he was leaving.

In a fit of pique, he has been neither welcoming nor complimentary about the property when we show prospective tenants around.

He has muscled in on the tour, pointing out draughty sash windows, aircraft noise and complained about high gas bills. Fortunately, today's applicant - a charming, but very sharp East Coast American lawyer - got his measure straight away and shrugged him off politely, but decisively. I could have applauded.

PS: all three passed their exams - two with merit and one with distinction.

Gerald Fitz-Gibbon is a partner at Fitz-Gibbon Residential in Richmond (020 8940 9920).