One of the industry’s best known personalities, Trevor Kent, is retiring.

His firm, Trevor Kent & Co in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, ceases trading at the end of this month after 48 years. He himself has been in the industry over 50 years.

Trevor was arguably the best known President that the NAEA ever had and for years was the ‘go to’ spokesperson for the industry, frequently appearing on radio, television and in the national press.

He was so well known in media circles that he was often invited as a journalist to press conferences. And if he wasn’t invited, he just turned up anyway and never had trouble gaining access.

He was a regular on Radio 2’s Steve Wright Show and phone-ins for the Jeremy Vine Show, together with both ends of the television spectrum – from Richard and Judy to Newsnight.

To say he stood up for agents is an under-statement: he never accepted that estate agents were in any way deserving of a poor reputation, believing that members of the public never held them in low esteem – but that sections of the media did.

Trevor did his level best to change that perception, and would love to have seen licensing of estate agents years ago – not just to get rid of the rogues, but to give agents the standing he believed the majority have both earned and deserved.

As President and representing the NAEA, Trevor met Prince Philip at a reception following a successful charity initiative to raise funds for one of the Prince’s pet causes.

Trevor was lined up for presentation to the Prince who asked him who he was: “Trevor Kent of the NAEA,” Trevor replied.

The Prince said: “Oh, some sort of trade body.”

Trevor replied: “No Sir, a professional society.”

Prince Philip said: “Well, certainly not a learned society” and walked quickly away before Trevor could give him both barrels in reply.

On another occasion, the satirical programme Spitting Image featured a song which suggested anyone feeling low could cheer themselves up by going out to kill an estate agent.

Trevor wrote a letter of complaint to the TV company and wrung what was reputed to be the only apology ever given by the famous programme from its chief executive, copied in to Mary Whitehouse, that “the broadcast last week was below our normal standards and will never be re-broadcast”.

Trevor also fought a high-profile campaign along with Nick Salmon against Home Information Packs, and has been quick to query practices by some, including officialdom and portals.

When complaining, he has often used the pseudonym J Peasmould Gruntfuttock, and invariably received replies back addressed to Mr Gruntfuttock or sometimes more chummily to Peasmould. (Peasmould Gruntfuttock was a disreputable spoof character in the radio show Round the Horne.)

He resigned (more than once) from Rightmove and also (just the once) from the NAEA, in protest at the former’s pricing and at the latter’s then perceived treatment of some of its members. He went back to Rightmove but not to the NAEA – sadly, in view of everything he had been to the organisation.

A loyal friend to many, Trevor has a sense of humour in proportion to his girth: expansive.

A keen auctioneer (“Have gavel, will travel” was his motto) he once conducted a charity auction in the Long Room at Lord’s in aid of a player’s benefit.

Getting to a lot which consisted of a pair of the player’s socks, he was bid £250. Without looking up, Trevor said to the purchaser: “I hope your credit is good, Mr ???”

The bidder replied: “I hope my credit’s good too, Mr Auctioneer – the name is Getty, J.P.”

Trevor’s sense of humour was also significantly on display as EYE’s first columnist – one of his columns featured a photo of the view taken from the Gents on the top floor of the Shard (he complained about the lack of curtains).

The Trevor Kent & Co website tells us that it was founded by Trevor in 1971 after five years of training at two Gerrards Cross firms. Two of Trevor’s three sons have followed him into agency and Trevor notes on the site that he “now sits painfully on his laurels such as they are, and watches the next generation succeed”.

Trevor has been an estate agent, auctioneer, and to quote a song, he did it his way.

Happy retirement, BigT.

Below, Trevor at a children’s party this month