“I’m going for something that makes me happy rather than just pays the bills”
–
Clifford Gerreyn is 49 years old and is married to his wife Katrina who he sees as his “hero”. They live in Chingford, London and they are looking to adopt in the future. Clifford had a brother who sadly died when Clifford was 3 years old, which impacted Clifford’s own early development. Clifford is of mixed Asian and European heritage. His parents were born in Sri Lanka. Clifford, however, is also proud to be English as this was his place of birth. Clifford studied Marketing up to Masters level, and has worked for some years as an estate agent. He also volunteers at a primary school on Thursdays which gives him a “bigger buzz”. Clifford has submitted his 3 months notice at his current workplace, as he hopes to begin teacher training in the Autumn.
Read on to learn more about Clifford!
I didn’t really enjoy my GCSE’s or A Levels and I was advised to study for a Higher National Diploma (HND) rather than follow a typical degree path. I went to what used to be the University of Glamorgan and studied HND Business Administration Marketing Stream. I really enjoyed the HND and it was very hands-on. I then extended this to a Marketing BA (Hons) degree by doing year two and three of the degree course. Whilst doing my Masters I got my first job in marketing which was for the South Wales Police.
When big changes were made to the job location making it difficult to continue, I decided to give in my notice with the Police and looked for a new job. Whilst still living in Cardiff I worked in a succession of different roles, one of which was at a lettings agent called Pinnacle. Over time that job changed from a marketing role into the area of maintenance. My dad had been a Structural Engineer so I had a bit of background in that. That role helped my transition into the area of estate agency.
“I once championed a man who was looking for a little
property for his elderly mother. She wasn’t necessarily the
ideal tenant in the eyes of the landlord, who may
have wanted to rent a flat to a professional instead.
It can be rewarding in my job to speak up for the little people.”
I moved back to London about 10 years ago. The main reason for this was my parents were getting older and needed more help. In London I worked with an estate agency called Frank Harris for about 6 years until Frank Harris was going to be bought out by a firm called Dexters. At that point I decided to move on and got a job with another estate agent called Spencer Munson.
When COVID hit I was eventually made redundant. I then got a job with Coultons in Chingford for a while which was a good company with great colleagues. After some time I moved to another estate agent called Hunters in Tottenham and 4 years later I’m still there. Although I’m still enjoying that job, I personally get more out of my teaching role on a Thursday at St Patrick’s school.
St Patrick’s school where Clifford volunteers
A typical day in my life as an estate agent begins when I get to work at 9am. I deal with lettings. First I’ll check my emails, scan through them and reply to any emergencies. We also use a system called LeadPro which tells us if any enquiries have come through. I’ll check my diary to see if I have any viewings or valuations that day. I’ll do the related admin such as getting references for tenants and running a credit check on them.
Other tasks include passing on feedback from viewings to the owners as to how they can improve the properties. I’ll occasionally run some statistics on how many lettings have been achieved per month or per year. We licence properties, which means that they are up to a certain standard. We also check compliance for things like gas and electrical goods. We have a team meeting on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Clifford’s wife Katrina
Officially my work day ends at 6pm, however, I’m one of those people who likes to finish stuff off so I could be working anything up to 8pm. My wife is generally home before me and she does most of the cooking. We’ll talk about our day but try not to focus too much on work because we both work for an estate agency. My wife works for Benham & Reeves in their Property Management department.
We might watch a crime drama in the evening to unwind. It’s mainly something to have on in the background while we chat. I try to go to the gym 3 times per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. When I can I also like to walk. I attend a walking group on a weekend plus other walks such as a recent walk Katrina and I did together to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Katrina and Clifford attending Walk For A Cure 2026
Nowadays the bigger buzz for me is my teaching on Thursdays at St Patrick’s school. In the morning I help out with special needs children and I really look forward to that. In the afternoons I work with 5-7 year olds. I help them read or with their classwork. You could say it’s like being a teaching assistant (TA) but unpaid. What I like is that rather than selling people something, which is ultimately what it involves to be an estate agent, I’m genuinely enjoying spending time with the kids on a Thursday and helping them with their school work or helping them to read. I’m not trying to get anything from them.
My personal definition of career success has changed over the years. Now I think if you go into a job that makes you happy then it doesn’t feel like work. My Thursdays don’t feel like work for me. I like to think I’m leaving a legacy by helping kids with their reading and classwork. Those skills will be with them for life. As I get older it’s nice to feel there’s a positive legacy I’m passing on to someone. My hope for the future is that I’ll be one of those teachers that is well remembered by the kids I taught. I myself have fond memories of teachers who helped me. I want to be that for the kids I teach and have a beneficial impact on their life.
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