A woman in the North East has bought the estate agency where she worked ten year ago after deciding to re-join the industry.

Jennifer Hartburn first worked at County Durham agency Harrington Brown as a negotiator in 2011 after relocating to the North East with her husband, who hails from the region.

They settled down in Shotley Bridge, where Harrington Brown is based, and Hartburn took a part-time job at the firm where she worked for three years.

“I’ve always been very driven and even back then could see the potential the business had to grow,” she says.

Hartburn persevered for a few more year but eventually left when children came along and she took a career break.

“Even when I wasn’t working I still had a few bits and bobs to keep me busy most of which were property related so I kept my hand in,” he says.

“And then lockdown happened and it made both me and my husband re-appraise our lives so I decided to approach the agency’s owner, who I heard was planning to just close it down.

Offer made

So Hartburn made an offer for the agency late last year, which includes a portfolio of rental properties, and took over in January.

“I did it because after being a mum for a while you lose a bit of your confidence so I wanted a personal challenge I could get my teeth into,” she says.

“I didn’t want to work for someone else again and also be rewarded for the effort I put into the business, rather than someone else getting it.”

She says the increasing corporatisation of the industry means standards of customer care are declining or non-existent often, something independent agencies like hers excel at.

Hartburn is supported through the Agents Together estate agency programme by North London agent Murray Lee.