Behind the Scenes: Will Drew

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Whereabouts do you live now?

I grew up in Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire. Sacha Baron Cohen is actually currently filming there for his new film ‘Grimsby’ in which he plays a football hooligan. I’ve been living in London for approximately five years, sharing a flat in Brixton with my sister.

How long have you been an estate agent for?

I have been working in property since I left Oxford Brookes in 2004.

How long have you worked for D&G? What’s the greatest thing about working for them?

I’m quite new to D&G and have been in the Notting Hill office for 4 months. The team here make coming into work enjoyable.

What’s the funniest story you have from your time at Douglas & Gordon?

It’s not particularly funny, more ‘eventful’, but I crashed my car twice in the first 2 months and acquired 4 parking tickets while adjusting to the commute!

When you’re not in the office or showing people around, what do you do in your spare time? Any interesting hobbies we should know about?

I enjoy going back up to Lincolnshire on weekends to work at home felling trees, lighting bonfires and building fences; it’s sometimes good to get out of London. My interests and hobbies are classic cars, running, art and music.

What questions do you most commonly get asked by clients/customers?

Conversations during viewing tours are usually about the current market. There are so many conflicting articles in the press at the moment about where prices are going that many people are left speculating and wanting a second opinion.

What advice do you have for people looking to buy or rent in Notting Hill?

To avoid disappointment, once you have found a property that matches most of your criteria, make an offer. In some of the more prestigious addresses it’s not often that properties come to the market.

What do you love about Notting Hill? What are your favourite hangouts? Where do you grab your coffee in the morning, or take a business lunch?

There is a strong community in Notting Hill with a diverse demographic which adds to the culture of the place. Obviously the Notting Hill carnival is a huge annual event but there’s always activity here with tourism, markets and cafés which makes for a good atmosphere. I get my coffee from Kitchen and Pantry in the mornings and usually swing by Mr Christian’s deli for lunch.

What would you say to anyone looking to move into the area?

Look for something just off the main tourist route from the tube up Portobello as it does get extremely busy at weekends.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the property market, what would it be?

I’d lower SDLT, or change it to a tax on the sale rather than a tax on the purchase of a property.