Sales Team Profile - Debbie Le Poidevin

Open market negotiator Debbie Le Poidevin is a self-confessed property addict. In the months since she joined Swoffers, she has been thoroughly enjoying helping people to move here or find a new home having already established Guernsey as a base.

‘I just love anything to do with houses. It is a brilliant job because there are so many elements to it.  The fact that I am helping people to find a property that ideally suits them is part of the satisfaction that I get from my role.  It is such an important time in anyone’s life and it is really rewarding to play a part in making sure that they have the home that they want.’

Debbie’s initiation as an Open Market negotiator was a real change of direction in her working life.  She spent two decades in the finance sector in varying roles, including client relationship management, dealing with very high net worth individuals. This was a very good background for dealing with similar individuals looking to purchase Open Market properties.

‘My husband, Mark, and I have spent lots of time renovating our own home, and  I have also followed closely the efforts of friends who have renovated properties.  It’s such an interesting area. I never get tired of hearing about those sorts of projects.’

Debbie acknowledges that life in this busy estate agency is hectic and somewhat unpredictable. For her, though, that is all part of the appeal after an earlier career in which days were quite regimented.

‘I really enjoy being out and about and also relish the fact that you never quite know what the day is going to bring.  It might be mapped out in one way in the diary and then someone walks into the office and you spend the rest of your time showing them the island and speaking to vendors to request viewings at short notice.’

As a Guernsey woman, Debbie derives pleasure from being able to promote her island home. ‘There are so many positives about life here.  People identify them very quickly and it makes me proud.  An Open Market negotiator is actually an ambassador for the island because it is our way of life that you are really selling.’

One of her most popular scenarios is to collect would-be purchasers from the airport on their first trip and show them the best of Guernsey. ‘We get involved in all sorts of details about their time here.  Schools are an important element for families moving here and we also recommend hotels and restaurants.’

Another benefit of her job is that it provides an opportunity to tour some of the island’s most beautiful homes.  ‘Some of the places that we handle are absolute top end of the market and are truly stunning.  I love that aspect of the work and we are lucky that we have such fantastic houses in such a small island.’

Debbie has learnt that the job brings its challenges. ‘There are times when a sale or purchase becomes complicated for a whole host of reasons and these have to be resolved. At other times, a potential buyer does not manage to get the place that they want.  That is fortunately rare and I have to persuade them that it is not the end of the world and we will find them something just as good.’

Her finance background has led Debbie to approach paperwork meticulously and that helps things to run smoothly. ‘I am an organised person by nature.’

Considering comments made by Open Market clients during her early months in the job, Debbie says that our picturesque Town, easy commute to the UK and a large number of good restaurants have all been mentioned regularly. Those, coupled with good schools and healthcare, help to seal a deal when showing people their potential dream home.

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