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From office boy to agency co-owner: 40 years in London estate agency
Daniel Epstein started out at 16, sticking photos onto property listings. Now the co-owner of TK International, he reflects on how buyers have changed and why he still prefers to pick up the phone
When Daniel Epstein began his career in estate agency aged 16, his job was to stick photographs onto printed sales particulars. Four decades later, he is still working the same Hampstead streets in north London – but the homes, their buyers and the business of selling them have changed considerably.
Epstein, 57, who marked 40 years in the business earlier this year, is the co-owner of TK International, the independent estate agency he runs with business partner, Jeremy Karpel.
Having left school at 16 with a couple of O-level retakes, Epstein knew university was not for him.
“You either became an estate agent or went into the City,” Epstein told Jewish News. “And I didn’t fancy getting up at 5am to do the latter.”
Instead, he caught a train to Hampstead, walked into Stickley & Kent and asked whether they needed an office boy.
“There were no online listings to upload or digital photographs to circulate. I ordered prints, attached them to particulars and helped the negotiators.
After a year at Stickley & Kent, he moved to David Jaffe as a junior negotiator. Epstein then went on to manage Behr & Butchoff in Hampstead Village, before joining TK International, formerly Talisman Karpel, in 2001. He now co-owns the agency with Jeremy Karpel. They specialise in Hampstead and the surrounding areas.
Over that time, Epstein has watched the neighbourhood’s character shift.
“When I started, it was more bohemian, full of actors, artists and writers,” he recalled.
“Today, there’s more of an international, family-focused market as the area’s schools are a major draw.”
TK International has dealt with several high-profile clients including Arsenal and Tottenham footballers. The agency also handled the sale of George Michael’s house in Highgate. Such transactions require discretion, but Epstein said the foundations of the business remain the relationships and local knowledge accumulated over years.
Over four decades, Epstein has navigated successive property highs and lows. He remembers the financial crisis as a “horror show” although, in his experience, Hampstead generally recovers faster than many other areas.
He said the current slowdown feels “prolonged and very depressed” with transactions increasingly driven by necessity rather than owners simply wanting a change. “People are opting to stay put and doing work on their own property.”
Research from Savills puts prime Hampstead property values 4.5 per cent below their level a year earlier, following a 1.8 per cent fall in the three months to September 2026.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ September survey recorded a net balance of 22 per cent of respondents reporting falling buyer enquiries, while a net 18 per cent reported declining agreed sales. London’s house price readings were notably weaker than the national figure.
“The cost of moving, particularly stamp duty, is a significant obstacle. I would like to see it reduced, including relief for older homeowners, who want to leave larger properties but are deterred by the expense.
“If their moving costs were lower, we’d see more movement.”
“It’s a buyers’ market. If you’re upsizing, it’s a good time.
The wider prime London figures suggest room for negotiation. According to property data company LonRes, sales volumes fell 10 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, while achieved prices were down 4 per cent. Homes sold at an average discount of 10.1 per cent to their initial asking price.
Lettings present a different picture. Properties that the agency take on are being rented quickly, Epstein noted, while reduced supply is putting upward pressure on rents. Across prime London, LonRes recorded annual rental growth of 4 per cent in the third quarter.
Despite four decades of technological change, Epstein remains committed to a personal approach and still “prefers to pick up the phone.
“We like to call people. We’re old-school in that way.”
A father to three daughters, Epstein worries that younger people today switch too readily from job to job in search of immediate rewards.
“They want to make millions and if they don’t see a great deal immediately, they move on.
“But the longer someone works in an area or industry, the more contacts they build and the more business follows. It’s the long game at the end of the day.”
Away from work, Epstein lives in Bushey and is a member of Bushey United Synagogue. He enjoys travelling and family life.
After four decades, his enthusiasm remains rooted in the area and its people.
“I count myself very, very lucky I chose Hampstead. It’s a great place to work and I get to deal with some great properties and interesting people.”
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