Career success stories - David Moreton

David Moreton started out as a sales negotiator in our West Hampstead branch back in 2006. After 17 successful years at KFH, he is now the West Hampstead Sales Branch Director. Below he looks back on his career journey so far and recognises the brilliant mentors who have guided him along the way.

It was a casual remark that changed everything: "Would you like to see our sales and lettings operation?"

I was working as an office junior at a firm of solicitors in north west London, doing all the jobs that no one else wanted to do – filing, answering the phone, making tea. I don’t think I was aware that the company also operated as an estate agent, but as soon as I was exposed to that world, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

I then began life as a negotiator, learning from the ground up. Jump forward two years and I felt ready to step up; I wanted to join the Premier League and KFH came calling. I joined a sales team of six negotiators in West Hampstead in April 2006. My earliest memory was the noise and buzz in the office that I’d not experienced before – and it was addictive. There was a fizz of people on the phones, desks littered with applicant cards. The training in Wimbledon at that time involved a lot of telephone role play, so close bonds were formed with colleagues who experienced that rite of passage with me, many of whom I still speak to today.

Everyone needs a mentor and I’ve been lucky enough to have had three: Matthew Wender was a hard taskmaster and a great manager who originally gave me the position; Barrington Dutton, my assistant manager initially, took me under his wing and taught me a lot in those formative years; James Ripp helped me to keep calm and channel any excess energy into work. I certainly made mistakes along the way, but I grew through understanding failure and overcoming it.

I suppose it was the consistent performance that caught the eye of another mentor, Rob McLaughlin, who propelled me to management seven years ago, and I’m proud to have led strong, dedicated, and successful teams since. My KFH career so far has been a great ride – it’s a brilliant company in which hard work is well rewarded.