Neil Smith

Promoted to Branch Partner at Bexleyheath

What did you do before joining us? My first job after leaving school was as a lifeguard at my local leisure centre. No, David Hasselhoff, I was not, but I did rescue a couple of people during my time there. I decided I wanted to go into sales and started work at Lunn Poly selling holidays. It was when I sold a holiday to a family that worked in estate agency that I began to explore the world of selling houses, and this prompted me to try my hand at selling people's biggest assets. I started as a trainee in my local town, covering Whitstable and Herne Bay. One of the first properties I sold was a beach hut on Tankerton seafront. I then moved to London and worked my way from a sales negotiator to a branch manager at a well-known agency in Beckenham before moving on to Robinson Jackson.

What attracted you to estate agency? Building relationships. Every day is different. The best thing for me is that we are always on the move. It's fast-paced and never boring.

What type of mentoring or support have you received during your time with us, and what advice has been a great help? I opened our Bexley Village branch 12 years ago with Kevin Wooder. When you open an office, you go back to basics. Hand delivering leaflets, hours of walking, and promoting a new venture. I think for me it was a case that we could never give up because when you start from scratch, you have to maintain a real positive approach, knowing that you have to keep going, and the only direction is up!

What are your ambitions for the future? Every year, I set new goals, every day presents a different challenge, I will always want my children to do better than me, and what I put in now is for them and my family. But it takes hard work, time, and dedication. I want to keep bettering myself, my team, and my branch. It's important to still maintain the balance of life (especially with family) as well as being a good, hardworking estate agent.

What do you like most about working here? My team. It sounds cheesy, but without them, it just wouldn't work.

Any advice to those considering a career in estate agency? I never thought I would go into selling houses. Start from the bottom - take the jobs that people don't find glamorous, because as you grow on a career path, the things you learn at the very start become second nature and form part of building an office and team.

WILDCARD - What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?  Like every young kid, I wanted to be the next Roy Keane or Bryan Robson. I also wanted to work at Sea World. Maybe one day I might.