The best property advisors have a real breadth of experience – in property, of course, but in other sectors too. As well as 15 years on the buying and selling sides of property, Gemma previously worked in investor relations in the City of London, learning and applying the forensic levels of detail and planning that are so much a feature of the Middleton way.
“You do need to have a really broad grounding in service businesses to be a good buying advisor,” says Gemma. “And so the five years I spent working in the City in investor relations gave me fantastic experience, and I’m glad I have that to draw on. But my family have always worked in property. It was always part of the conversation growing up in the Cotswolds, and I always felt that the property world was where my skills, contacts and knowledge would be most applicable.”
After working in the City, Gemma spent seven years at Douglas and Gordon, one of London’s most respected independent estate agents, acquiring a detailed understanding of prime property.
“After spending a period working on the sales side, I was really drawn by the opportunity Middleton offered to focus on a smaller number of bespoke acquisitions or sales, and stay with clients for the whole journey. Middleton’s commitment to meticulous service and attention to detail definitely suits my approach and vice versa.”
Gemma joined Middleton in 2018 with the intention of utilising her knowledge and contacts in the Cotswolds, and is now one of the acknowledged experts in the area.
“Supply of best-in-class properties is the number one challenge in all regions – even in London to an extent. But it is particularly acute in the Cotswolds, which ticks so many boxes in terms of aesthetic appeal, proximity to the capital, country pursuits, schools, restaurants, pubs and clubs. If you own prime property in the Cotswolds, there is rarely a need to go to the open market, and that puts a real premium on our inside knowledge and contacts,” says Gemma.