Clive Emson, a well-known figure in the UK property market, has passed away at the age of 79. He was an auctioneer and businessman who appeared on Homes Under the Hammer for over two decades. Emson's career was marked by his entrepreneurial spirit and charitable work with disadvantaged youth in Kent.
Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am -Homes Under the Hammer auctioneer and esteemed businessman Clive Emson has passed away aged 79. Mr Emson, who appeared on the television series for more than 20 years and was watched by millions, died peacefully on Wednesday with his family by his side.
An acclaimed entrepreneur whose mantra was 'have gravel, will travel,' Mr Emson spearheaded Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers since 1989 - expanding the business from his native Kent, to Cornwall and as far as the Isle of Wight. The father-of-two, who was married to wife Sue for more than 50 years, was made an MBE in 2019 for his behind-the-scenes charitable work and services to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people in Kent.
Yet his far-reaching career was founded from humble beginnings - earning only £1.50 per week at his first job as a junior estate agent in the property business. He left the King's School in Rochester aged 16 with few O-levels, remarking in a 2022 interview that school was 'not the best time' of his life and that as a pupil, he was a 'nightmare'.
Growing up in Maidstone, Mr Emson went on to attend Maidstone Technical College where he studied 'useful' subjects like economics, commerce and book-keeping. And despite careers in law, accountancy and banking beckoning, he opted for a career in estate agency so he would not be stuck in an office.
Clive Emson , Homes Under the Hammer auctioneer and esteemed businessman, has passed away aged 79 'It was more laid back, and I enjoyed talking and meeting people,' he said in an interview with Kent Live. In 1968, Mr Emson began working for Geering and Colyer in Maidstone - a job that took him to Tonbridge, where he met his wife Sue. The couple were married for 50 years before Sue's death six years ago.
They had two children, James, 52, and Rebecca, 55. James has carried on his father's legacy as the managing director of Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers, while Rebecca's husband, Steve, is involved in the IT side of the company. Mr Emson's entrepreneurial career launched in 1973 with the establishment of Clive Emson and Co, an estate agency he ran until 1983 when he merged the business with the rapidly expanding Ward and Partners.
The company was taken over by nationally by Prudential in 1986, however, Mr Emson later became disillusioned and three years later, resigned as regional director. He then founded his own firm in Folkestone during the height of the recession and shortly thereafter, took over a small industrial unit located on the Medway City Estate in Strood. His portfolio gradually started to widen across southern England with the launch of James in Hastings then Brighton.
Coming from humble beginnings, Mr Emson spearheaded Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers since 1989 Mr Emson's entrepreneurial career launched in 1973 with the establishment of Clive Emson and Co, an estate agency he ran until 1983 The company quickly outgrew their auction venue at the Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone, relocating to the Kent County Showground at Detling - where Clive Emson Conference Centre is one of several halls that stages their six-weekly land and property sales. This was Mr Emson's first property auctioneering house not backed by an estate agency - a 'niche' he said he had to move on and find.
And although Mr Emson's career has been celebrated for his successes in the auctioneering industry, it has not been without its pitfalls. One notable error in judgement was his opening a branch in New York. On ill-advise, Mr Emson sent a team of 10 people to the city, but did not get the feedback from his advisor, a colleague of Donald Trump's. He lost £250,000 in a matter of weeks, leaving critics to say he had 'egg on his face'.
In true Emson fashion, he replied: 'Well it's my egg and it's on my face.
' His appearances on daytime TV show Homes under the Hammer made him a familiar face to thousands across Britain. He said that the programme served to make the auction house a more respected place to acquire property and land, remarking that there was an image that they were 'frequented by dealers and crooked people'.
Mr Emson said Homes under the Hammer served to make the auction house a more respected place to acquire property and land Mr Emson was made an MBE in 2019 for his charitable enterprises, including working with disadvantaged youth in his native Kent That strategy has seen Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers go from strength to strength, with its offices now dispersed across Exeter, Devon, Chelmsford, Essex, Fareham, Hampshire and the Maidstone HQ. Every day, Mr Emson's team review thousands of lots before they make it into the catalogue.
'If we think the price wanted is wrong, we will say so,' he previously said. 'We sell 80 per cent of what goes into the catalogue. We are the fifth biggest in the country.
' After a successful run, Mr Emson took a step back from running the company some years ago, with his son James stepping in to take his place. He spent his later years spending time at his home in Monks Horton near Sellindge, where he played around with his vintage cars. He had invested money in a fleet of several classic British vehicles - including a vintage Bentley.
Aside from his cars - and a hobby for golf - Mr Emson was also involved in charitable enterprises and was president of the Young Lives Foundation, which supports disadvantaged youth in Kent. He was the Maidstone-based charity's Independent Visitor, where his role entailed having one-to-one sessions with one child for three years. In doing so, he said, he talked to children in care to inspire success, rather than talk 'at them'.
Mr Emson was made an MBE in 2019 for his work, an accolade he said came as a 'complete and utter surprise' - despite having more than 30 years of charitable work under his belt. In his final years, he served as the President of the YMCA in Maidstone, having become chairman of the board from 2007 to 2014. Mr Emson's funeral arrangements are yet to be finalised.
Clive Emson Homes Under The Hammer Auctioneer Entrepreneur Businessman Kent Disadvantaged Youth Charity Entrepreneurial Spirit
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