Diary of an agent: Jessica Bishop

How long have you been with Knight Frank and what’s your role?

I joined in 2015 having worked as a negotiator at another firm, initially working on the admin side of the Kensington office’s lettings business. However, James Simpson at Knight Frank’s St John’s Wood office recognised my potential and took me on in a sales role. I returned to Kensington around two and half years ago initially charged with growing our share of the house market.

How have you found lockdown?

Well, the part of the job I love is meeting people. As an estate agent we like to be out and about and I didn’t have any experience of working from home, so in the first week I struggled. However, the team’s been extraordinary and we have two online meetings a day, which helps provide social contact. I’ve also learnt the value of taking a break – it’s very easy to take on the next thing, then the next thing without stopping.

Where are you working from?

I’m currently living with my parents in Oxfordshire as I was poorly a week before the lockdown – not Covid-19 related – and thought I’d convalesce there rather than at my London flat-share. I do have my work monitor with me, which has been great, but I have to admit to being a bit of a technophobe so learning some of the technical aspects of working from home has been a challenge. I know how to set up a Microsoft Teams meeting now, though.  

How’s your relationship with clients developed during lockdown?

I have had some really in-depth conversations with both buyers and sellers. The focus for many has been on family and keeping them safe as well, as well as clients checking I’m okay. There’s been a realisation that we are all in the same situation and, in the case of the sellers, no expectation about what is happening in regards the sale of their properties. I’ve had some really interesting conversations about what clients plan to do when lockdown ends. One has decided to change their lifestyle and live in Marbella while maintaining something small in London. Another client has decided to move to the country, sell his assets in London and look at house building around Birmingham.

There’s an understandable perception that as physical viewings are suspended nothing’s happening in the property market, but that’s not the case, is it?

Not at all. I recently undertook a project looking at the amount of exchanges and completions that had occurred in central London during the first three weeks of the lockdown and a surprisingly large amount of business was conducted in that time, which is just amazing. The majority of the deals have been at or over the asking prices too. Just last week the team agreed the sale of a flat in Holland Park.

How will the central London market respond when restrictions are lifted?

While now is a difficult time, and some people are struggling, in the main clients are feeling positive about the future of the market. I’ve been fielding enquiries from international buyers that haven’t been active for some time but are interested re-engaging and view the current situation as short-term. There’s a really collaborative feel across our teams and clients can feel that and are benefitting from it. Once restrictions are lifted there will be a surge in activity as all the pent-up demand is released. 

Tell me something about you I don’t know

Facing three more weeks of lockdown I have created ‘Poetry for Heroes’, so that hopefully people wondering what to do with their time can use some creative spirit and raise some money for the NHS. I’ve posted my effort on Instagram on the newly created Poetry for heroes account but essentially take some time to write a limerick, a ditty, a stream of consciousness etc and nominate 5 other people to do the same. You can donate to Barts Charity (NHS) via Virgin Money Giving