Diary of an estate agent

Monday

An American client came into the office wanting to buy a house for around 2 million, asking: "Where exactly does Hugh Grant live?" In this office this is a common occurrence: the allure of nearby Notting Hill and the popularity of the film mean that most Americans assume the actor lives nearby. We never have the heart to tell them that he lives in Little Chelsea.

We do, however, try to placate them with Richard Curtis, who wrote the film, Elton John or Richard Branson, some of our more famous residents. Holland Park attracts a wide range of foreign clients, and professional American couples make up a large portion of our clientele. As the demand for good-sized family homes outstrips supply nearly all the year round, sale prices can top 4 million; rentals can go up to 4,000 a week.

Tuesday

Spent most of the day driving around showing clients properties. It's hard to explain the community spirit of Holland Park to people, so I always insist on taking them on a tour of the area and showing them the wide range of restaurants, bars, specialist shops, communal gardens and parks. One young woman was surprised that her 150,000 budget could easily buy her a decent studio flat. Although there is a persistent myth that Holland Park is too expensive for the average person, it is still possible to find affordable properties.

During the afternoon we completed on a one-bedroom flat in Royal Crescent for 197,000, sold to a young couple who had originally set out to buy a two-bed flat but had sacrificed the extra bedroom for the stunning location.

Wednesday

Our lettings department had an odd request from a landlord in Landsdowne Road who wanted to let a lower-ground-floor flat with its own entrance.

Having been approached by a couple with a dog, the landlord has asked to meet the animal. The prospective tenants took him to the beauty parlour first thing to be groomed before presenting him and his references to the landlord.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when it looked like the two might get on, and the lease was signed.

Later on, armed with a ladder, I took an American client to view a property for rent in a converted telephone exchange just off Portobello Road. The keys were not yet available, but the applicant was so desperate to view that he felt he couldn't wait another few days for the new set to come through, so I reluctantly agreed to bring along a ladder so that he could at least get a look through the windows. Luckily, there were no accidents, the man liked what he saw and made an immediate offer.

Friday

This morning we had an enquiry from a property search agent who has a client looking for a property from 4 million. I arranged to show him a property in Earls Terrace at 3pm, which is on the market at 4.55 million, plus 65,000 each for two parking spaces. There was still work going on, so I made a point of checking the rooms before he arrived. As I went into the top-floor bathroom, I heard the door slam behind me, only to find that the builders had yet to fit a door handle. I tried to get out by inserting keys, Biros - even an eyebrow pencil - into the lock.

By now it was 3pm and my client was bound to be waiting outside. In desperation, I inserted the blade of my Swiss army knife into the gap and managed to force the catch. I flew downstairs and reached the front door just as he pulled up to tell me that, although he liked the look of the house, sadly it was a little small and he didn't think it was worth a viewing.

I ended the day at Ladbroke Grove, where I showed a flat to a mother and young daughter. All was going well until I put my mobile phone down on the table. A minute or so later I realised the two- year-old had thrown it down the loo. Time to go home Winnie Medd is sales manager at Jackson-Stops and Staff in Holland Park (020 7727 5111).

Copyright 2001
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