A philosophy with people at its heart
Yes, good estate agency is about bricks and mortar. But more fundamentally it’s about people, and that’s where John Curtis genuinely excels.
Our reputation for openness and honesty is built on quality relationships - which is why we like to get out into the community, making friends, supporting schools and other charitable causes. If you have suggestions for how we can help your local organisation we’d love to hear from you, so do get in touch!
Director Ric Merlo and all 21 John Curtis sales staff live in Harpenden or the immediate surrounding area. And all have worked at John Curtis long-term. Which is why, when you call into a John Curtis office, you’ll sense a real local knowledge within the team.
Ric Merlo Director
Ric is a family man with over 32 years’ experience in the local market. He started his career with a leading St Albans agent, and in 1990 was promoted to run his own office. In 1992, Ric accepted an offer to join John Curtis and in 2001, after 9 years working in the business, he took it over in partnership with Ken. Ric has been married to Isabel since 1994 and they have two boys.
- ric@johncurtis.co.uk
- direct 01582 463435
- office 01582 764471
Richard Goss Associate Director
The son of a chartered surveyor, Richard was born in The Red House in Carlton Rd. His agency career started in Harpenden in the mid 1990s, followed by a three-year spell in Highgate and Hampstead. Richard worked as Head of Sales for a National Country House agent in St Albans before coming home to John Curtis as Sales Manager, a role he has held since 2006. Richard has been married to Claire since 1998 and they have two daughters, Olivia and Evangeline.
- richard@johncurtis.co.uk
- direct 01582 463433
- office 01582 764471
Hilary James Negotiator
Hilary has been a Harpenden resident since the 1960s, when she moved here with her parents. After some time away at University and then in London, she and her husband returned to Harpenden to make a home and bring up their daughter. Hilary has worked for John Curtis since 1993, assuming the role of full-time sales co-ordinator in 2001.
- hilary@johncurtis.co.uk
- direct 01582 463432
- office 01582 764471
Mark Lumley Sales Manager, Village and Country Homes Wheathampstead
Mark has had a distinguished career in estate agency over a 30-year period. He marries this considerable experience with a background in professional photography to provide a high-end service which focuses on village and country homes. Mark’s hands-on, personalised approach has helped him grow a loyal client list.
- mark@johncurtis.co.uk
- direct 01582 839202
- office 01582 839200
Tom Tracy Associate
Tom started his career in agency back in 2005 working for a large corporate company in Bedfordshire. He quickly worked his way up the ranks and was offered several other promotions but felt too restricted in the corporate world. After a short break from selling houses he quickly realised that estate agency was the only job for him and joined an independent agency in Hertfordshire where he worked his way up to sales manager. Tom is now a dad to Rex with his partner Maxine.
- tom@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471
Sue Emanuel Senior Negotiator
Sue moved to Harpenden in 1999 moving from London. She has been working in estate agency for over six years starting in estate agency in 2010. Sue is married with two children Claudia 20 & Joe 14. Sue like most young mums enjoys a busy home and is actively involved in local charity work and still finds time to attend her favourite Zumba classes
- sue@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471
Jacqui Green Negotiator
Jacqui moved from London to St Albans 13 years ago. She worked as a make up artist for many years before joining the glamorous team at John Curtis in 2015. She has been married to Ed for 28 years, they have a teenage daughter called Lucy and a Yorkshire Terrier called Faye.
- jacqui.green@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471
Rebecca Allingham Negotiator/Sales Progressor
Rebecca is the ‘baby’ of the office and joined John Curtis in November 2012 as our first apprentice. Her bubbly and enthusiastic nature has made her very popular with clients. Her passion is her three horses; Rio, Elsa and Flash. After achieving 13 GCSEs and 3 A levels, Rebecca decided she did not want to go to university like her older brother, but enter the world of employment and start a career.
- rebecca@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 839200
Jessica Langley-Newby Administrator
Jessica grew up in Harpenden, having been born at the Harpenden Red House and attended both Wood End and Roundwood Schools. After 11 years working with the Police Service in St Albans and 20 years with another Harpenden Estate Agency, she joined the team at John Curtis in 2018. Jessica is married to Richard and has a 9 year son called Tom (and two naughty black cats!).
- jessica@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471
Yoanna Allen Negotiator
Originally born in the historic city of Bath, Yoanna moved to St Albans 9 years ago, where, with her husband Ian, they are bringing up two young children. Property has always been a passion of Yoanna’s and so Joining the St Albans office of Hamptons international was a natural career step. Her customer focussed approach and enthusiastically friendly manner made her a firm favourite with both buyers and sellers alike and She now works for our highly successful village and country homes office, putting those valuable skills to good use.
- yoanna.allen@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 839200
Gabriel Richardson Sales Negotiator
Born and raised in Harpenden, Gabe was educated at the local secondary School, St Georges. Being the son of a local reputable builder, Gabe learnt the various elements that make up a house during his brief time on site. Combing both his construction experience and his previous customer service background, he sought to start his venture into estate agency in 2017. Starting as a weekend viewing assistant, he achieved an ambition of his by becoming a full time member of John Curtis in July 2018. In his downtime, Gabe is a passionate football fan who both plays and supports; he has a love for music also and has played the drums for 10 years
- gabriel@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471
Ellie Schilling Sales Progressor
Ellie was born locally in East Hyde village and attended both High Beeches & Sir John Lawes schools, having joined the Countrywide estate agency group in October 2010 as a trainee sales negotiator Ellie worked through job roles, gaining knowledge and experience in sales progression. Ellie is customer focussed and takes great pride in making the selling process easier for both vendor and buyer. At the weekends Ellie enjoys spending time with her large farming family and riding her horse Tristan.
- Ellie@johncurtis.co.uk
- 01582 764471