Helen Breeze Property Management was set up by Helen Breeze in 1988. Here, one of our partners, and Helen’s daughter Hilary tells the story. 

My mother, Helen, set up Helen Breeze Property Management on returning to Kent having lived overseas as a diplomat’s wife for 26 years. She had had her own experience of being a Landlord, much of which had been unsatisfactory. One letting agency went ‘bust’ and another one infuriated her by constantly sending her questionable bills for repair work carried out by a company called ‘Red Alert’. She also had several anecdotes to tell including the time an owl fell down a chimney causing mayhem and another time a tenant fell through the unboarded loft destroying the ceiling in one of the bedrooms.

When Helen set up the agency she wanted to ensure her Landlords received a superior service and had a better letting experience than she had had. She appreciated that for many Landlords, their property is their home and main asset and she wanted them to return to find their property in at least as good a condition as it was when they left.

Before she started, Helen completed legal courses and classes on how to start up in business, learned to operate a word processor (yes it was that long ago) and then set about looking for clients. A few articles in the Chronicle gave her enough leads to get going. Then, a combination of factors, including the introduction of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy and increasing interest rates, meant a growth in the private rented sector and the business took off.

The agency was based at home originally, but then moved to where it is today in the heart of Sevenoaks. I joined the firm in 1996 and we ran it as a mother and daughter team until Diane, who had worked part time for some years, joined on a full time basis in 1998.

Diane and I now run it as a partnership with a fantastic team. We are all ARLA trained and regulated.

We are committed to looking after our clients’ interests and maintaining our properties to the highest standards.