For our new Operations Manager Tamara Inness, property is in her DNA. “My grandfather had his own estate agency on Cadogan Square in London, and my father carried that on and had his own property companies too,” Tamara explains. “My husband also works in property as an investment manager for residential properties in Edinburgh, and together we have a portfolio of residential rental properties in Edinburgh and Stirling which I manage. I’ve always had a real love of property.”

In taking on her role with Paton & Co in the Berwick-upon-Tweed office, Tamara will be combining her years of experience working in the prime property market with impressive organisational skills. As she says: “I am really looking forward to using all my experience from previous roles to help bring everything together in Paton & Co. I think I am already being called the ‘matriarch’!”

We wanted to introduce Tamara properly here, so we had a chat about her background and also about life in the Borders, where Tamara lives with her husband Charlie and their young son Fergus, along with dogs Willow and Tilly, and Peanut the horse.

​Welcome to Paton & Co Tamara. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to property?

I started my working life as an event rider and alongside this I ran my own businesses that included teaching, saddle fitting, and running a polo yard, which gave me a huge variety of skills both with people and in business.

In 1999 I started a company in London with my brother. We had four buildings located just off the Strand, and created serviced offices along with an entrepreneurial private members club in the basement of the building. The company grew to a turnover of £2.5 million per annum and it was incredible experience for me to learn to cope with everything from dealing with employees to clients on the personal side and all the business elements too.

I also helped run my father’s portfolio of high end residential rental properties on Sloane Square, and this helped me understand even more about customer relations and expectations as well as great customer service.

After moving to Caithness in Scotland in 2007, I had a tweed business which I sold in around 2013 so I could spend time with our only child Fergus. When Fergus was 9 years old I started working part time again as I’m not good at sitting around without a purpose!

With such diverse professional experience, how do you feel this informs your work now?

Because I have done so many diverse jobs I am very versatile and have a good understanding of customer service and being able to relate to a multitude of different characters.

I’ve always been very organised. I think this comes naturally, but also the ability to think ahead comes from working with horses as sometimes I’d be competing multiple horses in multiple disciplines in one day. I’ve carried those skills into my working life.

Where are you based in the Borders?

We’re based in Ladykirk, about 5 minutes away from Paton & Co HQ – which is really handy!

What are you looking forward to most in your new role with Paton & Co?

I love organising and everything being in order, with slick operating systems, efficiency, and satisfied customers. It’s so exciting being involved in a business which is still in its infancy and so will be growing and evolving.

What will your day-to-day work involve?

My work will involve co-ordinating viewings, ensuring the office runs efficiently, dealing with enquiries, putting in place systems, collating data, and generally bringing everything together that’s happening in the business.

What do you most enjoy about living in the Borders?

I love the Borders because it gives us the rural life, but we still have access to amenities, and also just being an hour away from Edinburgh and Newcastle, which we missed when we lived in Caithness! I love the country, walking the dogs, riding the horse, and just generally sitting in the garden in the quiet looking out over the Cheviot Hills

Have you tackled a project with your own home?

We fully renovated the house that we had in Caithness. It was a year-and-a-half long project which I really enjoyed and learnt so much from. The house needed everything from new windows to central heating, but we really felt that we brought it back to life.

What would your dream home look like?

We love the house we are in at the moment: a Borders farmhouse, out in the middle of the countryside, with amazing views and open sky!

Click here find out more about the team at Paton & Co