What makes someone become an estate agent? What are the old properties on Twickenham Riverside like inside? Why should people move to Twickenham?

Twickenham estate agent Kristian Fitchett answers all these and more in this Q&A.

Kristian recently joined the team at Bartlett & Partners as a partner, and has worked in the borough for eight years.

First of all, tell us a little about yourself

So, I'm Kristian, in many ways your average local man! Born and raised in Hampton Hill, I went to Teddington School and Richmond College. I never felt the need to move far as have always loved the area and currently live with my wife and two young sons in Hampton.

Why do you love living in the Richmond Upon Thames area?

Who wouldn't? The biggest thing for me, is being able to walk out my front door, and have a choice of numerous parks to stretch my legs in, I can always guarantee meeting a friendly face out and about too - the local community is genuinely fantastic. In addition to the great links to London, the outstanding schools and diverse high streets, what's not to love?

Why did you decide to become an estate agent to start with?

Genuinely it was an accident! I've always been a 'people person' and have worked in different sales environments previously but after coming home from months away travelling, I was back at home with the parents (lucky them) and needing a job. I applied to be a mortgage consultant at a Richmond based company and they said at 21 years old I might not be the best person to talk finance with high net wealth individuals (can't blame them!), they suggested I try my hand at estate agency and now here we are 12 years down the line!

What was your most memorable house sale?

Well there's definitely been a few over the years, each for their own reasons. The ones that I always look forward to and never fail to surprise me are the really old properties on Twickenham Riverside. Each one has rich history and a unique story to tell. One house on the embankment previously had a tunnel to the Barmy Arms pub for smuggling purposes; another a few doors down from the White Swan pub revealed interconnecting doors on the upper floors which supposedly run across the whole terrace, I can only imagine why!

What is the question you most get asked by clients?

I guess it has to be - 'do you live locally'? At first I was a little taken aback at what I perceived to be a reasonably personal question. It took a while but I realised that people just wanted to know that the person assisting with one of their biggest financial decisions could answer their questions genuinely and from personal experience.

What made you decide to leave the traditional estate agency you worked for and join Bartlett & Partners?

I wasn't unhappy in my previous role, in fact I was doing very well (statistically speaking). Darren Bartlett and I met a good number of years back and have always kept in touch periodically.

Essentially he planted the seed that I didn't need to be tied to an office in the high street for 60+ hours a week and that I could actually be just as successful, whilst providing a better, more personal experience to my clients, working remotely and benefitting from a happier work / life balance. Needless to say after a few further conversations, Darren had fully sold me the idea and I have to say that there is no looking back!

What is a motto or saying you live by?

There's a few but they all mean similar to me; the Latin 'memento mori' (roughly translates to - remember you die) and the second being 'sharpen the saw' which I took from a fantastic book - The 7 Habits of highly effective people by Stephen R. Covey.

Essentially it boils down to - have a break, enjoy a rest, spend time with loved ones, and when I manage to fulfil this side of my life, it lets me flourish and be at my best when I am at work!

What is your vision for Bartlett & Partners over the next year?

That's simple - community awareness. When I saw Darren's first video whilst working in my previous role I was sceptical to say the least.

How could one person do what a whole team could? I laughed to myself and thought nothing more of it. Having kept a close eye on his activities, I can confidently tell you I was very wrong. For starters it's not one person, behind the scenes we have an excellent team of people ensuring that we can be at our best for our clients and time and time again we continue to get excellent results for our customers.

Is now a good time to move in the local area? House prices are up 5% over the same period last year in Richmond Upon Thames…. Is it worth waiting or snap up properties as they become available?

Bartlett & Partners is a proud sponsor of Nub News. Sponsors like Darren allow us to continue to produce top-quality, local news free to our readers.