Agents Martyn Gerrard – who featured in a televised attempt by ‘Queen of Shops’ Mary Portas to “improve” them – have celebrated 50 years in business.
The agent was founded by current boss Simon Gerrard’s father Martyn, and the two are pictured at the birthday bash at Alexandra Palace.
Martyn Gerrard founded the firm on May 25, 1964, in Whetstone, north London. Today, the firm has ten offices, thankfully unscathed by Portas’s ill-advised efforts to show them how to up their game.
Back in 1964, the firm’s first sale was a three-bedroom house in Barnet for £4,950. Now that property would be worth well over £500,000.
The firm was one of the first to use colour photographs.
Simon Gerrard is the incoming president of the NAEA and takes on the role next month.
The 50th birthday party was attended by 350 people including Martyn Gerrard’s first secretary, who made the trip from Cumbria.
A surprise feature was a video rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, performed by staff and some of the guests – a present for Martyn and Simon.
We wish the whole Gerrard family, including staff, the very best – and for those with six minutes to spare, here’s a link to the Bohemian Rhapsody performance:
Comments (6)
If you don't have 6 minutes to spare watch it anyway, it will lift your whole day and make you smile, EPIC! Well done to everyone involved. Congratulations to Martyn Gerrard.
Agree….very good.
Well, ampersat – I second your congratulations – both to Mr Gerrard Snr on seeing his company thrive over a period that some agency Board of Directors won't have notched up between them; and to Simon Gerrard on his forthcoming term as the Main Man at the Association.
I wonder how he will work with the Board to restore the NAEA to its former?
You have been suggesting that xF/MNAEAs contact Mark Hayward with a view to rejoining. Having 'bailed out' some six or so years ago I, for one, would dearly like to think that I could rejoin the fold at some point – and now seems as good a point in time as any IF the NAEA is actually going to be what it SHOULD be and not what it morphed into over the last decade or so.
Don't know if I'd like being a Student at my stage of advancing years, however… so whether or not my 36+ years in the industry, including those as a paid-up Associate (now plain old 'Member'), would qualify as study time or CPD could be a deal-breaker for me.
We'll have to see.
PeeBee xMNAEA
Okay… THIRD your congtarulations.
D**N YOU, wilko – quicker fingers than me, obviously…! 😉
Don't forget to log 6 mins CPD for watching this you tube link!
I left the association about 12 years ago…it would have to change alot for me to look at it again.
Ahhhhh CPD! isn't it funny how rather than complete meaningless professional development and keeping a detailed record of it for the annual return most people opted to leave the association and have managed to do quite well without either NAEA or the salvation of the industry Continued Professional Development.
There are quite a few folk wondering what I am up to and possibly it is a bit of a curved ball but I think it would be good if all us Ex – _ NAEAs made enquiries about rejoining to see if there might be an amnesty for all us trouble makers.
I say trouble makers because I got the very distinct impression that our non compliance was the real issue rather than one of falling standards. I would pay my subs tomorrow if their was a single gram of respect for the time served veterans. One thing is for sure with a lost generation of experience there is no one setting an example to the youngsters coming into the industry.
To have the boss of a multiple office firm voicing the usual concerns and appathy towards NAEA has to be an indication of how bad things are but a keen eyed salesman will notice the buy in signal in that short sentance and ask;
What would have to change to entice you back Wilko?
Given that appropriate CPD isn't a bad thing, how else would you change NAEA so you can stand out the front as an example to your staff so they see F.N.A.E.A as something to aim for, work for and be proud of as I did 28 years ago?