Highbury Team
Our team have built a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective sectors. Read below to understand a bit more about what drives them and please connect with them.
Hi, I’m Alasdair. I am a director of Hotblack Desiato and based in our Highbury office. I have variously worked in the music business and catering before joining Hotblack in 2009 following a nationally based role at another estate agency. I was born in Paddington, and have lived in the Middle East, then during my late teens and twenties in Scotland, Oxford and Hampshire ending up back near where I started. A long-suffering Arsenal fan, I’m also a keen cyclist which is just as well given the parking and traffic situation where we operate. I very much enjoy being part of the community in Islington, Highbury and Stoke Newington where I lived for many years. We are blessed to have many independent retailers & businesses locally and a strong sense of community. I try not to lose sight of the fact we work in villages, and the importance of giving measured, sensible advice and build relationships rather than simply trying to win business. Outside of work I spend a lot of time on my bike, in the USA, and enjoying quality time with my cats and my family. We have pretty decent coffee here in the office so please do pop in, that’s when we don’t get it from Vent over the road by the church.
Hi! I’m Saskia and I’ve recently joined the sales team in the Highbury office.
Although I have grown up in Primrose Hill for all of my life, the bars and buzzy nightlife always lured me towards Islington!
After deciding university wasn’t for me and a year of dog walking, I realised that I wanted to start a career in property and became an estate agent in Finchley.
However lovely Finchley was, I wanted to start selling properties in a more diverse, visionary area. So, I joined Hotblack Desiato!
Not only do I get to the satisfaction of helping people through their journey into finding their perfect property, but we’re also right next to Arsenal stadium! Which my Arsenal fanatic family seems to be very happy about..
I first joined Hotblack’s in 2015 and stayed for 4 years working in the Islington office as a lettings negotiator. I left for a while because I wanted to gain experience by working for one of the large corporate firms, and I believe that I benefited from this because Hotblack’s came back to me and offered me the Manager’s role in Highbury which I am really enjoying and it feels good to be back working for Hotblack’s. Outside of work, I like to travel, spend time with family and friends and keep fit.
I spent most of my adult life living in the North London and Camden area. My first job straight out of school was working in the London Borough of Camden planning department, I was there for 6-7 years and I was an interesting place to work with a good introduction to the work place. I remember the day the planners came into the office with the designs and models for the Kings Cross redevelopment area. After 7 years there I felt I needed to do something different and ended up working for a small independent estate agency in Kings Cross covering the Angel, Clerkenwell, Old Street, and King Cross area. It was a pretty broad diverse area with range of people and properties. I stayed at that agency for about 7 years and watched the Kings Cross area change from the models I first saw many years ago to the utterly transformed place it is now. After working in the same branch and area for many years I felt that I needed a change and moved to a large franchise in the West Hampstead area where I stayed for 2 years.. After 2 enjoyable years and discovering a new part of London which didn’t know very well I decided to move on and came to Hotblack. I had heard of Hotblack before ,so when I was offered a role I was happy to accept. Coming to the Highbury area had been an interesting experience, surprisingly very similar to West Hampstead in that it has that a very local feel, with a group of residents that know the area well and are very invested into it which gives it the special community feel. After over 10 years working the property industry in North London I still enjoy going out to meet people and helping them on their journey in finding a new home and seeing the interesting range of properties.
Hi, I’m Gino. I have had the pleasure of working in the Highbury Office since 2019. I was lucky enough to grow up in North London, to be more specific Camden and Islington. Before I transitioned into the industry, I knew that Estate Agents were tarnished with a questionable reputation. As such, I wanted to make it my mission to demonstrate to people that there are good agents out there that operate with a high degree of integrity and build a solid reputation (check our Google reviews). When I was offered the opportunity to join Hotblack Desiato, it was an easy decision to make as their philosophy and outlook was very much aligned with mine. I have done my fair share of property development over the years, carrying out and overseeing the projects myself, so I’m very knowledgeable when it comes to a property’s potential. Working at Hotblack Desiato has taught me how amazing and diverse the London market can be, I cover everything from traditional period properties to new developments. Outside of work, I enjoy spending good quality time with my children, family, and friends as that is what matters most in life!
Hi! I’m Ollie, I have just started here at Hotblack Desiato in the Highbury office. I left school straight after GCSE’s as I’ve always had a burning desire to make something of myself outside of school. I went straight into my father’s estate agency in Bedfordshire where I stayed for just over a year learning the basics. I then moved to a firm in Finchley, and although I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, I thought it was time to step foot into a buzzy area like Highbury. Although I support the best team in North London (Spurs) Highbury has many beautiful properties which helped draw me here. I’m really happy to have joined a reputable firm like Hotblack Desiato!
Gino from Hotblack Desiato made our experience of finding and renting our flat seamless and actually enjoyable...that's rare! He communicated well with us, and has continued be in touch. He has a personable and honest approach, and I would highly recommen
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Jo Scholar
I loved working with brilliant Saskia. She found me the perfect home and was so supportive during the process. I couldn't recommend her more highly.
Alice B
Great service from Saskia and Alasdair. Highly recommend
Bryan Martin
We have used Hotblack desiato twice now to rent out our flat. Both times we have received an excellent service and the process ran smoothly. A big thank you to Daniel and Gino in particular.
Colyn Weaver
Had the pleasure of working with Nina who made a difficult process much easier and with great sympathy and understanding. Would recommend.
Charles Baloche
Shoutout to Diriye at Hotblack who was extremely helpful in us finding our flat. Made a stressful process very easy. Fantastic communication and felt like they actually cared about us getting into our place. Fire your current estate agent right now and ca
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Brett Renken
Alasdair and the Sales team handled our sale with patience and professionalism throughout. The listing and viewings process was great and we felt we were getting strong viewings and feedback in a very difficult market. Alasdair went above and beyond to
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Paul Budd
Alasdair at Hotblack Desiato was incredibly helpful through the whole process as I bought my flat. As a first time buyer I really appreciated having someone able to explain each step without all the jargon. He checked in regularly to make sure the legal s
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Kathryn Jones
Very happy with Hotblack's service - Daniel is extremely effective at following up any issues, and always helpful
Anthony Wilson