Meet the Teams
YORK
Hugh Sneddon
Branch manager
"My estate agency career began in 2003 after I graduated from university. I have worked in a wide range of markets, from rural Northumberland to the bustling cities of Sheffield, Newcastle and Bradford. I am committed to delivering first-class customer service and I am proud to work with a team of people who share my passion. In my spare time I enjoy keeping fit and travelling the world."
Justin Johnson
Valuations manager
"I was born in Manchester and have lived in York from the age of 13. I have been involved in the estate agency industry for over 10 years and began my career with a large corporate company. As the valuation manager at Preston Baker, I make sure that we secure the very best prices for our vendors. Out of work hours, I enjoy spending my time with my two daughters."
Gemma Duxbury
Senior negotiator
"Working as a negotiator is a very rewarding job. I have met and worked with many cleints during my years as an estate agent, helping them with one of the most important times of their life. I strive to provide excellent customer service to both buyers and sellers, so they get the best possible experience within what can be a stressful time for them. I know that good communication and proactivity are the keys to being a good agent.."
Jill Collier
Senior negotiator
"My role here is to communicate to my vendors and house hunters our caring style of house hunting and selling houses. Our ethos is to listen and discuss in depth what house hunters want. Once you get to know a house hunter you can really direct them and even suggest alternative. This job is a vocation, and I want to deliver a service over and above expectations."
Angela Williams
Branch administrator
"Having lived in York all my life I have a good knowledge of the local area and I feel this is vital to my position as Branch Administrator. I enjoy the variety of my role and working as part of a fast-paced team supporting my colleagues individually in order to assist them in providing and maintaining a great level of service for all of our clients and customers."
Kilmeny Jane Denny
Accompanied viewer
"I get genuine pleasure from showing houses and flats to our buyers. Presenting our sellers’ homes to the best advantage and helping buyers’ visualise themselves living in the property are both skills I bring to Preston Baker. And I always try to create a friendly, fresh perspective to the buying process for all our viewers."
SELBY
Sarah-Jane Taylor
Branch manager
"Having lived and grown up in the Selby area, making sure I can find people their ideal home is a topic very close to my heart! I am strong believer in not only talking about what I can do as your estate agent but demonstrating that, too. Actions speak louder than words! First-class customer service and a passionate proactive approach offer the right formula to get you moving to your new home."
James Danbury
Negotiator
"I have been involved in estate agency since completing my university degree 6 years ago. The varied nature of the business and the thrill of negotiating sales has fuelled my passion for property and I have found that real dedication, persistence and providing excellent customer service are the keys to securing property sales."
Rebecca Snowden
Negotiator
"I am extremely passionate about providing good customer service to all our vendors and landlords. I am keen to provide a friendly, enthusiastic service to get the best results possible keeping you informed every step of the way. In my opinion there is nothing better than seeing the happy faces of a vendor, landlord, purchaser or tenant when you have secured the deal and got them house of their dreams!"
Ann Booker
Branch administrator
"I enjoy working in a hectic environment where every day is different and have a real interest in the property industry. My job is very varied from putting property details together, placing advertising, arranging mail outs and all the other tasks involved in supporting the hard-working, energetic team in Selby."
LEEDS HEADINGLEY
Chris Holroyd
Branch Manager
"I have been an estate agent since leaving school and selling houses is all I know. Starting from the age of 16 has given me time to gain experience in a number of housing areas and markets which has helped me understand what client expect from an estate agent. I joined Preston Baker in 2010 to be part of very proactive and competitive team. Being a keen footballer, I bring my competitive drive to my workplace."
Lauren Verdi-Bowker
Negotiator
"I became an estate agent straight after leaving university because I enjoy working with and meeting new people every day. My experience in property redevelopment and the costs involved means that I have some understanding of both vendors' and purchasers' needs and concerns. A bad and stressful experience with the sale of my own property really showed me how important good communication is."
Gareth Newby
Lister/Negotiator
"My background over the last nine years is predominately in the city centre sales market where I worked closely with both investors and first-time buyers. More recently I have been based in North Leeds as senior negotiator and lister for a professional lettings company. The volatile and fast paced market of city centre sales has given me a strong work ethic and a passion for customer service . These are the two main reasons that I chose Preston Baker as the company to join."
Ian Edhouse
Accompanied viewer
"As a Headingley resident and experienced lettings negotiator I relished the opportunity to join Preston Baker, and better understand the community on my doorstep. In this day and age it can be stressful finding the property that's right for you. I'm excited to be helping people find a home."
Santa Erta
Branch administrator
"My name is Santa Erta and I am from Latvia where I studied accountancy at university. I moved to Leeds five years ago. I like working in customer service, helping and advising people so I joined Preston Baker in the summer of 2011. I really like it and couldn't be happier."
LEEDS OAKWOOD
Nicky Partridge
Branch manager
"With six years' experience as an estate agency branch manager, I understand today’s property market. Experience has taught me that whether our clients are buying or selling they are all looking for good communication and honest advice. My team and I pride ourselves on offering this to all out customers. I love my work – every day is different and the satisfaction of helping people move provides a real sense of achievement. There is nothing else I would rather do!"
Claire Thornton
Negotiator
"I have 8 years experience in estate agency in both sales and lettings across the whole of Leeds, Harrogate and Wetherby. I came to Preston Baker to work again in my home city. I enjoy working in a fast paced environment with skilled and experienced colleagues who simply love what they do. I like houses, people and talking...so this is the perfect job for me!"
Sean Sutton
Negotiator
"I have recently joined Preston Baker after working in New Homes and Investments in London. After three great years studying economics in Leeds, I was very keen to move back to the city. I believe my academic background, combined with my work experience, will enable me to give toop quality service to our clients in Oakwood and Roundhay."
Sharon Bell
Branch administrator
"With my previous background being in car sales, I have a good understanding of the importance of strong admin support. My role as administrator is great as I get to keep the office systems in order! I'm loving working in a busy office and that is getting busier every day."
LETTINGS
Cathy Evans
Lettings manager
"I love the fast pace and dynamic nature of the lettings business. I find it fascinating working with people from all walks of life and thrive on helping landlords find quality tenants. I've worked in lettings for for almost 10 years, in London and in Yorkshire, and every day is different and brings a new challenge."
Marie Poole
Property manager
"I've only recently moved to North Yorkshire, and wanted to continue my career in property management. With 11 years’ experience, I wanted to work for an agency with a good reputation and one that has a high level of care for both the landlords and tenants. Preston Baker delivers that and I'm enjoyed contributing my skills to them and their clients."
Emily Dodd
Lettings negotiator
"I have recently joined Preston Baker after years of experience in a retail environment. This has given me a passion for customer service. After becoming a landlord myself, I discovered an interest in lettings. Having lived in York all my life, I have a good knowledge about the area and I look forward to a career within the lettings team and within the business."
Craig Duxbury
Lettings accounts
"I recently joined the Preston Baker team and bring with me over ten years experience of working in accounts. I have settled in very quickly and found the York team both friendly and welcoming. I am able to manage the demands of bringing up two young boys with a combination of working remotely and from the branch. This is enabled by the modern technology used to ensure landlords receive a first class service."
DIRECTORS
Ian Preston
Managing director
"I have been an estate agent since leaving school and I am as passionate about the business today as I was when I first started out. My background is in corporate estate agency and I ran a network of 10 agency branches across North and West Yorkshire. Having honed my skills in the corporate environment, I know that being independent means being able to respond faster and more effectively to our clients’ needs.I live in York, having also lived previously in Leeds, Harrogate and Newcastle upon Tyne. I am married with four children."
James Baker
Senior director
"Born in South Yorkshire, I worked first in the hospitality industry which gave me a real enthusiasm for customer service businesses and soon crossed over to estate agency in 2003. My personal drive is to communicate effectively and clearly, and my experience in property development helps me to understand the challenges so many sellers and buyers face."
Lettings: We seek to agree a let within 28 days from the date that the property goes live onto www.prestonbaker.co.uk. If this does not occur we will refund £200 (inc VAT) from our standard set up charges to anyone who books a lettings valuation through www.prestonbaker.co.uk. This offer is only for customers using our fully managed service at our standard management commission. This discount will be applied from the monies normally deducted from the first months rent. In the event that Preston Baker do not introduce a tenant to move in to your property then no cash back will be payable by Preston Baker and Associates Ltd. In the event of any dispute the decision of the directors of Preston Baker and Associates Ltd will be final.
*Only applicable to valuations booked online. RESIDENTIAL: £200 of shopping vouchers of our choosing on the successful completion of the sale of your property. The payment of these vouchers will be only upon the full payment of Preston Baker and Associates Ltd commission account for the sale of the property. This offer is only applicable if you valuation is booked through www.prestonbaker.co.uk. This offer is only for sole agency instructions.