Although the RFR offices are based in Chelsea, meaning a lot of work is done in the popular SW London areas, Clare’s not afraid to venture further afield. “I love a bit of N1 and N5, and have done some stunning searches for clients in Hackney, particularly the London Fields area where there is some beautiful Georgian architecture. My current favourite, though, is Maida Vale with its communal gardens, lovely little shops and feeling of space and peace.”

Clare’s journey from stalwart of A&O’s London Banking B1 team to Chelsea’s answer to Kirstie Allsopp was thanks to her A&O alumni connections. She left A&O in 2006 after eight years and worked as in-house counsel for investment manager GLG until 2012, two years after it merged with Man Group. Inevitable contraction meant Clare was made redundant.

“I spoke to alumna Emma France (née Strang) with whom I’d been friends since we were trainees. She asked why I was looking for legal jobs when I’d always wanted to try something more creative. She told me to go and talk to Richard Rogerson.” Richard is also an A&O alumnus who had worked with Emma in A&O’s Singapore office. He’d since left and, having been partner at Macfarlanes in the meantime, had joined his wife, Sophie, to set up RFR, a firm dedicated to helping clients with all aspects of their residential property needs. After a long (and slightly boozy) lunch with Clare, she was invited to join the other four staff members to spend a year learning the ropes of a search agent.

"We were in a tiny office, 2 Physic Place – right next to the Chelsea Physic Garden. We worked hard building the business, but had a lot of fun too." After the first year, Clare became an equity holder in the business and a full director of the company. She also found that being a search agent was the perfect job for her.

"I discovered I had the client handling skills, the eye for detail and, frankly, the work ethic that is required which was drilled into me quite firmly at A&O, as well as an inbuilt knowledge of London life. What I didn’t have to start with were the granular property figures at my fingertips. The other search directors were brilliant at imparting their experience and knowledge, so it got me up the curve very quickly." Now, Clare’s area of expertise is searches up to GBP3 million, with Sophie (co-founder of RFR) handling searches at GBP3m and above.

The A&O connection remains. Eighteen months ago she met Joanna Stewart (Real Estate alumna) through mutual friend, Sarah Cantwell (Banking alumna) at an alumni event. Joanna is now the head of the advisory team at RFR, project managing any issues clients have with their properties and bringing in the right team to get them resolved.

"The larger part of my friendship group is still from A&O. Looking at the guest list from my wedding in 2011, there were more people from A&O than from any other stage of my life either before or since."

RFR has now grown from its original search roots into a full-service property business. ‘There were five of us when I joined and we would have team lunches round the meeting table. There are now 18 of us, representing different and complementary business areas. The Search team is only one of six departments, the others being: Advisory; Home Management; Project Management; Interior Architecture and Design; and Investment. Whilst the firm has grown organically as clients required help in new areas, we’ve hired some really top end people from Finchatton, The Buying Solution, John Stefanidis and Janine Stone.’

However, the main ethos running through the firm, is the concept of service. As Clare says, "There are some amazing search agents out there, but if you want somebody who works as hard on your search as you do on your share acquisition agreement, and understands the level of service you give and should expect to receive, then we are definitely the ones to call.

I love my work – finding the right property for someone, whether they want a pied a terre in London because the family is in the country, or finding a family house that works for the commute and is also a lovely place for the children to grow up - is such a positive experience."

Reconnect with Clare Betteridge.

Email Clare at clare@rfrproperty.com

For more information on RFR go to rfrproperty.com