More than four decades after joining Hindwoods, Valerie Relph’s career has included working with the surveyors and selling houses – and she’s not finished yet

Posted on 15 May 2026

At 79, Valerie Relph still walks into work with the style and determination that has defined her entire career. In an industry once dominated by men, she built her career in property and in doing so became one of the longest-serving members of the Hindwoods team. 

In many ways Valerie, who is now a receptionist, embodies the company’s values. When Victor Hindwood began growing his property business, he did so with a simple philosophy: treat people fairly, trust them, and give them the opportunity to grow. This mindset encouraged loyalty and longevity, and over time it shaped a company where careers could span decades. In 2026, as Hindwoods celebrates 140 years in business, Valerie’s story is one of its clearest examples.

She joined the company more than four decades ago, when her son was just a year old. At the time, she was looking for something closer to home after spending 11 years working in a London West End advertising agency. Her early ambitions had leaned elsewhere; towards fashion, towards creativity. ‘I wanted to be a window dresser,’ she recalls. ‘I spent all my money in shops like Debenhams or going to Knightsbridge.’ Instead, she went to secretarial college, which led her into advertising, and eventually, to Hindwoods.

A changing landscape

‘It was a different kind of environment,’ she says of those early days. She started working two days a week with one of the surveyors. But what began as a small role quickly grew. Valerie became full-time, also working Saturday mornings and moving through different parts of the business and into residential sales, where she found her stride. ‘I am nosy,’ she says. ‘I would go home and think, ‘I could have done that’.’ No two days were ever the same. She travelled between offices in Blackheath, Bexley, and Dulwich, driving from one appointment to another, building relationships and establishing herself in a field where women were still something of a rarity.

‘Hindwoods gave me opportunities,’ she says simply. It’s a recognition of a culture that allowed her, and many other women and men, to evolve. Over time, she stepped back from full-time work, not because she was asked to, but because she chose to. ‘I went down to two days a week again in my 70s. I asked, they did not make me do it.’

First impressions count

Today, Valerie works as a receptionist at Hindwoods, a role that places her at the heart of the office. For many visitors, she is the first impression of Hindwoods; elegant, warm, and unmistakably stylish. Her sense of fashion is one of the first things people notice. It has sharpened with time. ‘You have to know what suits you,” she says. Her wardrobe reflects a lifelong love of clothes; four double wardrobes filled with carefully chosen pieces, including a collection of 15-20 Zara blazers. ‘Just because you are older doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with things,’ she says.

Building a company culture

Valerie has always kept pace with change. Since she started out in the 1970s, she has seen the company change - the shift in working patterns, the evolution of the property market - but the core values and purpose remain. ‘Hindwoods has always been part of my life,’ she says. ‘I have never not wanted to go to work. It is all about the people.’ The brief pause during the pandemic, when she was furloughed, only reinforced how much work means to her. 

She keeps in touch with former colleagues and maintains a wide circle of friends of all ages. ‘It keeps you active,’ she says. ‘You have to keep busy.’ 

As Hindwoods marks its 140th year, it celebrates not only its history but the people who have shaped it. Valerie is one of them; a trailblazer not because she set out to be, but because she kept going, kept learning, and kept showing up. And at 79, she still is.

--ENDS--