Meet Matt Burrows, Sheldon Bosley Knight’s auctioneer and associate director. Matt started working life as an officer in the army but an injury sustained during training led him eventually into the property industry. Although the auction department keeps him extremely busy, when he’s not in work he loves being with his family, or he can be found on the ski slopes, on the golf course or as assistant commandant for Hereford and Worcester Army Cadet Force.
What is your Sheldon Bosley Knight job title and where are you based?
I’m associate director and auctioneer. I’m based in Stratford-upon-Avon but am regularly travelling around the network from Winchcombe to Loughborough and everywhere in between.
What is your role and what does your job entail?
The main aspect of my role is to ensure the auction department is running smoothly. This involves conducting market appraisals, managing and leading a superb team of auction professionals and working with our key stakeholders both within and outside the business. We are constantly innovating how we do business, so I am never far from my notebook ready with ideas on how to improve what we are offering our clients. When the auctions are taking place, I am the auctioneer so can be found on the rostrum controlling the auction event as it is happening. No two days are the same and that is exactly why I love my job!
What did you do before this job?
I have been working in property for around 15 years. My journey has taken me through small independent estate agents to large corporates. From a branch manager to regional sales director, I have worked across the South West, the Midlands and nationally for a franchisor.
How did you get into the property industry and how long have you worked within it?
After university, I joined the army as an officer but was injured while going through my training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After I left the army, I was working in recruitment and came across a job advert for a trainee estate agency manager. I wasn’t sure about the idea of becoming an estate agent but something made me click on the description. I saw the package included a BMW company car! I took a look at my very old Vauxhall Astra (absolutely nothing wrong with Astras, but this one was on its last legs!) and applied. Fifteen years later and I have found a job I love and enjoy coming into work every day.
What attracted you to working for Sheldon Bosley Knight?
I have had my fingers burned in different property companies and was very cautious in making my next move. A friend recommended Sheldon Bosley Knight to me as being large enough to have a real impact in the regional property market, forward thinking enough to move with the times, innovative enough to explore new ideas but retaining the heart and culture of a company that genuinely cares for its employees. Now 14 months on and I can echo all the points that first attracted me to the company and role.
What’s the best bit about your job?
Helping people. When someone chooses to sell their property by auction, they are often looking for speed and security in their sale. This can be a positive move (to release capital for an investment) but it can also be a very challenging situation (to pay for a care home or to reduce the risk of a repossession). Either way, I am able to offer a light at the end of a dark tunnel to help them achieve their aims and objectives in their sale. No two customers are the same so my advice needs to be tailored to their specific needs.
What qualifications or training do you need to do this job?
There are no formal qualifications required for the role, but these are highly desirable. I have a bachelors degree, professional qualifications in estate agency and am working toward professional qualifications in auctioneering and towards becoming a chartered surveyor and a member of RICS.
What motivates you to work hard?
Our customers. Everything we do is for the benefit of our customers. When we look after people and make sure we do right by our clients, the bottom line looks after itself. Motivation is easy when you are helping people.
Who or what inspires you?
Entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, James Dyson and Richard Branson. They shook up their respective fields and thought outside the box.
What are your career goals?
To grow the auction department in Sheldon Bosley Knight to be a regional powerhouse in land and property auctions. In time, with the right mentoring and support, I would love to take a leadership position within Sheldon Bosley Knight and help grow the wider business.
What do you do when you are not at work?
A large portion of my time outside of work is taken up in volunteering for the Army Cadet Force. I am the assistant commandant for Hereford and Worcester ACF which occupies a few evenings a week, around 12 weekends per year and one to two weeks per year. Recently, I took 43 Cadets and five other adults skiing in the Pyrenees. Outside the ACF, I am married with two wonderful children and I spend as much time being a good dad and husband as I possibly can. I used to love skydiving but haven’t jumped for a number of years. I enjoy skiing and playing golf but please don’t confuse my enthusiasm for golf with talent, I only play off 18.2!
What is the best piece of career advice you have ever been given?
Work hard in the role you are doing. Work hard for your clients, work hard for your colleagues, work hard for your staff and work hard for the business. By working hard and smart, you can achieve anything.
