Lauren Evans is manager of the Cwmbran office of Darlows

1. Who are you?

I’m Lauren Evans and I work for Darlows. I’ve been with the company for five years and I have been manager of Cwmbran office since May 2016.

2. How did you get into this line of work?

I was looking for a summer job before university, I fell in love with the job and ended up accepting a full time position and never left for university. I was due to study criminology but estate agency feels like my true calling.

3. What sort of properties does your business usually sell?

We sell a vast range of residential properties across the Torfaen area. At the moment we’re selling properties ranging from a £40,000 flat to a cottage set on the mountain for £525,000.

4. What’s in your car CD player, ipod at the moment?

Lionel Richie greatest hits - it’s a classic.

5. What motivates you?

There’s no better feeling than driving around the area seeing our sold boards knowing there’s a happy client and purchase. Personally, I love new experiences so getting to see the world is what motivates me on those cold, winter mornings.

6. And what irritates you?

People who don’t give their all to something, there is nothing worse than someone doing something half-heartedly.

7. What do you think the property scene in the area is like at the moment and how would you change it if you could?

The market started 2017 with a bang and has been strong ever since. There is more coming on to the market and there are lots of offers coming in.

8. Last film you saw and what did you think?

Patriots Day, the new Mark Wahlberg film which is a drama-thriller based on the Boston Marathon bombings. There are some harrowing scenes in it so I definitely shed a few tears.

9. If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

I can’t imagine myself being anything other than an estate agent but if I wasn’t I would be in the police force.

10. Who is your hero?

I meet people every day who inspire me, seeing someone doing something great in the face of adversity motivates me to do better. My ultimate heroes in life are my parents, they’ve worked hard all of their lives to provide for their family.

11. What one tip would you give someone trying to sell their property?

Make sure the property is presented at its best for photos and viewings, cluttered photos won’t win you any viewings.

12. And what one tip would you give someone looking to buy in the area?

Do a drive around the area first to get a feel for whether it’s the right location for you. It’s make or break for so many people that you need to know whether you can imagine yourself living in the area.

13. If you could sell any property in the world to anyone, what property would it be and who would it be to?

Every weekend when we were younger, my parents used to take us to Somerset and we always used to drive past a dilapidated bungalow near the beach and my dad always wanted to buy it so I would have to say I would sell that bungalow to my parents - I’d love to see what they made of it.

14. Three words which sum up why buying in this area is a great idea…

Value for money.