Twenty years after selling his first house, a successful North East estate agent says he still gets the same excited feeling when a sale goes through…
This year will see Venture Properties’ co-owner, Carl Jenkinson, start his 21st year in the industry, and over the last two decades, he has stayed as enthusiastic as the day he began in 1995 – when a three bedroom house could be sold for £35,000.
“It’s surreal how the time has gone so fast, and so much has changed in my 20 years in the industry, but I am still 100% passionate and committed to what I do,” said Carl.
“When I first started, we had no internet and no emails, everything was photocopied and stuck on photos.
“Now we are so much more advanced with technology, which is fantastic, however the job is still the same and still requires the same hard work and dedication.
“When I became an estate agent, I was told good communication, listening to your clients and sound knowledge are the attributes you need to be a success, and this is what I have gone by every day.”
Originally from Darlington, Carl had a passion for houses from a very young age. He found properties intriguing, and realised working in the estate sector was the career for him. As most young starters did in those days, Carl started off as a YTS, and since then has done every job possible in the industry.
Remembering the first house he sold isn’t hard for Carl, as it was a house he has come to know all too well.
He said: “My first sale was in a street close by to our office, and funnily enough, I’ve sold the home many times since over the years.
“The feeling I had back then was amazing, but what’s great is I still get that now. There really is no better feeling than making someone’s dreams come true in helping them secure the home they want.”
In 2008, Carl became co-owner – along with Michael O’Connor – of Venture Properties, which is considered one of the leading estate agents in County Durham, with offices in in Darlington, Cockerton village, Chester-le-Street, Crook, Bishop Auckland and Durham City.
This was one of the personal highlights of his career, despite objections at the time from people around him, due to the state of the economy.
Carl said: “I worked for a corporate from school, and felt there was always more I could do, but had my hands tied.
“I decided to open my own agency in the town, and had already dealt with Michael on sales, and he was in the lettings arm so we decided to collaborate and open a fresh agency.
“People thought we were crazy doing this as the recession had hit, however we had great success in such a short period of time and continue to be on the up.”
With the arrival of 2016, Carl is excited about what the future has in store for both himself and Venture Properties. He is looking forward to more exciting ventures and celebrating his next milestone, surrounded by the team of family and friends who have been with him every step of the way.
For more information about Venture Properties, visit www.venturepropertiesuk.com, or follow them on Twitter.
