Weekly focus on who’s who in our local estate agents
Name Aaron Mills
Age 28
Home Bangor
Married to Karen
Children Amy, 3 months old
Who you work for Morton Pinpoint, East Belfast office
What brought you into the business?
After completing my degree in psychology in Dundee, I returned home to Northern Ireland and was offered a job in an estate agency in Bangor. This gave me a taste of what it was like to work in property and I quickly realised this was what I wanted to do with my career. Working in property is addictive, challenging and rewarding.
Who has inspired you in the property world?
No single individual. I bought my first house in Scotland with my student loan as a deposit, I was fascinated by the process of bidding and despite losing out on several houses I ended up with a better one. The great thing about property is that no two houses, or clients, are the same.
What do you have sitting on your desk?
A cup of coffee, mobile phone, calendar, lots of files and a large ‘to do’ list.
Downtime is?
Coaching at Annadale Hockey Club, playing cricket at North Down and walking on the beach with the family.
Do you do lunch?
Absolutely, everyday – I love my food and will never skip it. Though usually just a grab and go – so much to do.
What qualifications do you think are essential for estate agency?
A property-specific degree may be helpful but there is no substitute for experience, hard work and enthusiasm. Every day and every client is different and each has a different set of requirements so it is important to be able to listen to clients and tailor your services to suit them.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
A fireman.
If you could give it all up tomorrow, where in the world would you move to, and what would you do?
I would move to South Africa and open my own vineyard, spending my days trying to produce the perfect wine.
Any unfulfilled ambitions?
I still want to do a triathlon and my great ambition is to coach hockey at international level.
What is the most common misconception people have about estate agents?
People don’t realise how hard we work and the pressure we are often under.
Your top tip for house-hunters is:
Find out how much you can borrow before you start looking. We use a company called Flexible Mortgages that offers free consultations and this is a great starting point for any young first-time buyer.
