Tribute to leading Harrogate estate agent Charles Richard Rex Smailes who has sadly died
Obituary: Charles Richard Rex Smailes – August 10, 1946 to October 9, 2023
A leading former Harrogate businessman, founding partner of one of Harrogate’s leading estate agents and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Harrogate Business Awards has passed away.
Mr Smailes died peacefully in Harrogate Hospital on Monday, October 9, after successfully battling a degenerative disease for the past few years.
Charles was the third of four sons, of former Yorkshire and England Cricketer Frank Smailes and Dorothy Smailes (nee Stubbs).
Charles started his property career in 1963 and spent 57 years in the industry, founding his multi-disciplined property company, Feather, Smailes & Scales, in 1994 (retiring from FSS in 2020).
He was elected President of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) in 2006.
During his stewardship, he was instrumental in the setting up and implementation of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFoPP now PropertyMark), a professional body formed to maintain the standards of property agents throughout the UK.
Amongst his many roles in the industry, Charles became an advisor to the then Housing Minister Yvette Cooper, and lectured in property auctioneering at the NAEA headquarters in Warwick.
He also became a regular on the BBC TV’s Homes Under the Hammer.
Charles, along with Stanley and Audrey Burton, helped found the Harrogate Families Housing Association.
For more than a quarter of a century, Charles ran this voluntary organisation which provides quality accommodation to vulnerable homeless families in the district.
After such a long and influential career in the region, Charles was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Harrogate Advertiser’s annual Harrogate Business Awards in 2007.
Charles is survived by his wife, two sons and four grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 1.15pm on Monday, October 30, 2023 at The Church of All Saints, Ripley and afterwards at Ripley Castle.
The family requests no flowers please but a collection will be taken after the service for Saint Michael’s Hospice.