Our History

John Thorogood arrived back in London in 1970 following a five-year stint cutting his teeth in the Toronto property market in the late 1960s. Here he is, pictured above in 1971, with wife Janet and youngest son Austin (now sales director of the firm) asleep in the pram. Just before it was taken, John had joined a Battersea-based estate agency to set up and run their new sales department. From 1970 to 1991 he successfully grew the sales department of Bell, Son & Co covering Battersea, Clapham and Wandsworth. According to many, he was largely responsible for the growth in popularity of this area during the early years when Clapham was still distinctly unfashionable and buyers had to be lured, kicking and screaming, from North of the River.

In 1991, during extremely difficult market conditions, he and wife Janet took over the Northcote Road office and founded the eponymous John Thorogood Real Estate Agency. Their son Austin joined in 1993 after graduating and Austin’s wife, Cara, followed in 2000. The family-run firm quickly won and retained favour within the local community thanks to their reputation for providing honest advice and an exceptional personal service. It has since grown to become the area's leading independent firm in residential sales. Whilst having retired from daily office work, John and Janet remain directors of the firm.

Sales director Austin Thorogood now manages the business and has been conducting valuations since 1994. He has evolved our pro-active approach for selling homes, bringing it firmly into the 21st century and helping us achieve outstanding results, regardless of market conditions. He went to school on Wandsworth Common and knows the area intimately. Austin and Cara still live locally near Wandsworth Common, and have two sons, both of whom are at Belleville School. It remains to be seen whether a third generation of the family will carry the company's proud tradition further into the future...