Janet Hopkinson - operations director at leading estate agent Sanderson Young - has spent a lifetime in property, particularly marketing new homes. Janet outlines her career and the changing trends in the property sector regionally and nationally
When and how did you first get into property?
I joined a firm of chartered surveyors and auctions after I left school in Barrow. Auctions were completely different then, with only the properties that were extremely popular going into the auction. It was the Swinging 60s and a busy, exciting time.
How did your career progress?
My career took a few turns after I met Ian and we married in 1974. He was a professional footballer and played for various clubs including Barrow and Darlington. We moved across to the North East and one of the first jobs I got was working for the former Northern Rock. I didn’t particularly enjoy that and moved to an up and coming property agent Dudley Charlton where I first met David Leslie. I worked in Newcastle with David and we handled property in Ponteland. It was a busy, exciting time. He built the agency into a household name and an 18-branch network around the region.
When did you first meet Duncan Young?
We met long before Sanderson Young. During the early 1980s Dudley Charlton bought a smaller Alnwick estate agency called Glover Humble where Duncan was a junior valuer. That’s when we first got to know each other. We’ve worked well together ever since. In 1986 Dudley Charlton sold out to the large insurance company General Accident. I continued to work with David Leslie out of the national headquarters of GA Property Services on Newcastle Business Park. Duncan continued to rise through the ranks to become area director for GA in the North. Around 1998 Duncan left to establish Sanderson Young; I didn’t join him until 2005 to market new homes.
How did Sanderson Young develop?
I joined the business as it began to change. There was a big management restructure in 2006 which resulted in Duncan taking full control. During this period, we launched the Rare! brand, to focus on properties in the mid to top end of the market, from £700,000 plus. This was a huge success and continues to develop today. Part of my role was also to streamline the company and introduce and manage new systems to drive efficiencies into the business. We delivered many exciting new homes developments during this period. It was this success, our commitment to great personal service and our strong brand that got us through the financial recession. We continue to invest in our Gosforth, Alnwick and Ponteland offices while also growing the online side of the business.
How has the property sector changed?
We have seen heightened competition and the impact of online estate agents in the last five years. Right now, many online agents are struggling because nationally the volume of activity has dropped. People want to deal with people and want the added value of experienced agents who understand the local market. Today, we have to offer choice and flexibility to all our customers. Increasingly, our website plays an enormous role in the business, as walk-ins, off the street into our branches drops. We are set to invest in more features to further enhance our online experience.
Your stand-out career moments?
There’s been many but while at Sanderson Young I would say successfully marketing and selling Grove Park in Gosforth, and the Lime Street development in Newcastle, and Beadnell Point at Beadnell. More recently, we’ve loved working with Urban Splash and getting the first phases of Smith’s Dock, North Shields completed.
What would be your dream property and location?
I love the house I have at Hawthorn Grange, in Brunton Lane, in a semi-rural area on the outskirts of Gosforth. It was a development I helped market and sell, and I really love the properties. If I was ever able to find the time to enjoy a home in the sun, it would have to be in Majorca, an island I’ve been going to for more than 30 years.
If you could have a dinner party with anyone, who would it be?
Julie Walters, Barbara Streisand, Jo Malone, and Nigella Lawson with Michael Buble to provide some nice background music.
How do you relax?
I enjoy gardening and interior design. I also love cooking. Golf, when I can find the time. Ian is chairman of Ponteland Golf Club, so we spend a fair bit of time around the club. I also love to spend time with my grandson.
www.sandersonyoung.co.uk
