Agent of the month – Andrew Parker in the Pyrénées

What does a typical day as a Leggett Agent entail?
We have just bought a new house with a fantastic view of the local ski resort, Superbagneres, and surrounding mountains so I usually wake up around 7 a.m. and open my eyes to that magnificent view. Much to her annoyance, while my wife normally makes the tea, I quickly check my emails to see if anything has arrived overnight that needs dealing with. Each day is very different but I do try to deal with correspondence first thing and start my viewings or visiting properties to put on the market from around 10 a.m. Having said that, I do try and fit in with the availability and needs of our potential buyers and sellers and sometimes this means working through into the evenings. It really is important to build a good rapport with buyers and sellers alike so I believe lots of communication is the key to building that relationship. I do try to get home for a glass of wine and a last look at those mountains again before the light goes out.

What is your favorite place in the area that you cover? What do you like most about your area?
To be honest, there are so many lovely areas near me – it is difficult to choose! I have always liked the town of Bagneres de Luchon, with its telecabin lift to the ski resort, its restaurants and bars, its good shops and market. It is a year-round location with great summer facilities for cycling, walking, and hiking, and is surrounded by amazing views. Equally enchanting is the slow tempo of the mountain villages in the area with cow and goat bells chiming in the distance and with “puffing” cyclists reaching the top of their “Tour de France” climbs. If you like the outdoor life then this is definitely the area for you!

What is the funniest / weirdest request you ever had?
Well, I have only been with Leggett Immobilier for just over 6 months, but I guess one funny thing I had a couple of weeks ago was ” don’t show me anything haunted ” when we were looking for a large old mansion or chateau for a prospective buyer.
What were you doing before you joined Leggett?
Before I joined Leggett, I was an estate agent in the UK based in Canterbury, and prior to that, had a successful sales career mostly linked to IT and telecommunications but like I mentioned earlier, I have never had an office with the view I have now!

What is the most unusual house you have mandated?
I am not sure about unusual but I have mandated 2 properties in the last month that are both large (8 bedrooms) and have lovely large rooms downstairs with original features dating from the late 1800’s, lovely large gardens that would make amazing family homes or bed and breakfast locations close the winter and summer activities of the mountains. They just need some TLC to bring them up to date. You really can still find great houses at a good value in the area!
What do you like best about your job?
No doubt it is the flexibility and the people that I meet! Flexibility because you can build your business to suit your lifestyle. You cannot live in this area and not enjoy the outdoor lifestyle so work hard and then enjoy the fun is our mantra. It is a really cosmopolitan area as well we have, not only French and English homeowners, but also Australians, South Africans, Americans and, of course, being so close to the border Spanish owners throughout the area.

Please click here to see Andrew’s portfolio of properties.