OBIT: Richard Kendall one of Yorkshire's best and most highly regarded estate agents

This week brought some very sad news as the family of Richard Kendall announced his passing.

Founder of his own eponymous estate agency, he was one of Wakefield’s best-known personalities.

He had a shrewd head for business, knew his stuff inside out and was refreshingly straight talking, witty and much loved.

While his son Simon and daughter Claire now run the firm’s estate and lettings operation across six branches, Richard was involved to the end, passing on his wisdom and visiting the offices.

His property career began in 1969 at the age of 22 when he got a job as a trainee property sales negotiator at Laidlaws.

By 1980, he was manager of the residential department and went on to become TSB Yorkshire Regional Manager based in Wakefield.

When the 90s recession hit and the TSB pulled out of estate agency, he was redundant and almost bought Goathland Post Office.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post he said: “My life could have been very different but then I was offered the chance to buy an agency for £1,000 with 23 properties that had been on the books for ages, including the owner’s own home.”

On October 1, 1991, Richard Kendall Estate Agent opened its first office in Northgate, Wakefield. “I actually got cold feet at the last minute because of the recession. I called my solicitor but he had exchanged contracts. He said: ‘Sorry pal, it’s yours’ and I had to get on with it.”

By the end of the week he took two full page adverts in the Wakefield Express and within six weeks he had sold the house of the man he bought the business from. The rest, as they say, is history.

Richard said his strength was “valuing houses and talking to customers” though he should’ve added his work ethic, sense of humour and knowledge of the industry. RIP Richard, you will be much missed.