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The Thorogood Team

Austin Thorogood
Director

After completing a law degree from Manchester University and two winters working in the French Alps, Austin Thorogood joined the firm in 1993. All his estate agency experience has been from Northcote Road and, as he has been conducting valuations since 1994 and has over a thousand sales under his belt, he has an unrivalled and extensive knowledge of the housing stock in the local area. He is responsible for valuations, marketing and managing his experienced sales team with an honest and hard-working approach. His passion (aside from his wife, two children and skiing powder) is for offering the highest level of service and maintaining the company’s reputation as the leading independent agent in the area. He has lived locally for over 15 years.
Tom Crouch
Associate Director

After studying German & Russian at university, Tom rejected MI5 and worked in journalism for 10 years as a broadsheet and new media editor. His estate agency experience, which has witnessed the best and worst the industry has to offer, started as manager of a South London office for one of the larger chain agents. Appalled at the standards of customer service they encouraged, he left to run a successful independent agency in the Barnes/Richmond area, where he fostered a reputation for straight-talking and exceptional levels of personal service. Tom joined us in 2004 during expansion of our sales team, bringing with him a healthy and varied experience of the industry to help us offer a complete service. He has lived locally since 1991.
Gareth Blackmore-Heke
Senior Negotiator

After university Gareth enjoyed a varied career including retail management, working in a mental hospital, testing lifeboats, and working for the Inland Revenue (he’ll tell you all about it given half a chance). His career in estate agency began in Blackheath Village and Greenwich in 1986. He came to Clapham and Battersea in 1991 and later joined a Northcote Road independent agent as senior negotiator, enjoying over 10 years of unrivalled success Between the Commons. He moved on when his employers retired and soon after was specifically head-hunted by us in 2006 to augment our specialist knowledge and service. Gareth has since enjoyed considerable success and is undoubtedly Northcote Road’s longest-serving (not to mention enthusiastic) negotiator.
Anne Stagg
Lettings Manager

After completing a PhD in medical research in 1991, Anne moved Between the Commons and has been a local resident ever since. Anne started as the administrator at John Thorogood in 2004, helping to run the office efficiently whilst raising a young family. Having previously spent four years running a lettings and management business, Anne was ideally qualified to help set up and develop our lettings department in 2009. She now holds the NFOPP Technical Award in Property Lettings and Management. She is a member of ARLA and committed to offering a high-quality, personal and professional service to both landlords and tenants. She’s also a brown-belt in karate – so don’t mess with her!
Daphne Prentice
Administrator

After a career in publishing, advertising and marketing, Daphne joined John Thorogood in 2009. Her vivacious personality and first-class people skills have enhanced the company’s friendly welcome to all their customers whether they are vendors, buyers, landlords or tenants. As a Geography graduate, she is very good at finding her way around and has a huge knowledge of the local area, having lived here for over 25 years. As a mother of three, she has an extensive understanding of the area’s family dynamic and she revels in offering exceptional customer service. She is now in charge of administration for John Thorogood, ensuring properties are marketed at their best and clients’ needs are always well served.
Cara Thorogood
Negotiator

Cara completed an American business degree at Swansea University in 1998, joining John Thorogood two years later as a negotiator after working in the City. Her committed approach combined with sharp business acumen added strength and depth to the company. Her dedication to maintaining our exceptional standards of service hit new heights when she became part of the Thorogood family, marrying Austin in 2002. A local since 1999, she spent four very successful years with the firm during a strong period of growth. Since late 2004 she has been involved with marketing and advertising from home, whilst raising her two boys. She hopes to return in the future – watch this space!
John Thorogood
Director

John worked in the Toronto property market in the late 1960s and started as an estate agent here in1970. Houses off Northcote Road could be bought for around £5,000 back then! For 20 years he ran the sales department of Bell, Son & Co, before setting up his own agency mid-recession in 1991. Unfazed by market conditions, he knew the survival of his firm depended on providing a specialist and knowledgeable service to combat the larger agency chains. These core values have seen his company grow through 20 years to become the leading independent firm in the area. Having retired from daily office work, John remains a director of the firm.
Janet Thorogood
Director

Janet Thorogood is a founder member of the company and a director. She ran an extremely successful business selling fine wine and fine food from her shop “Acquired Taste” on Battersea Rise between 1977 and 1989. Since then she has been mainly involved in ensuring the smooth running of the estate agency business both in the office and behind the scenes, and runs the accountancy and payroll departments. She also acts as a consultant for marketing and advertising.