A freighter brought Digby Smith from Southampton, England to New York when he was 18 back in 1976. A little more than 30 years later, Smith has established himself in the real estate field and was recently named sales manager at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s West Hartford office.
Smith, 50, grew up in Emsworth, England and went to a private boy’s boarding school, Milton Abbey. Upon turning 18, Smith’s father proposed that his son travel and work in America. His father, president of Dunham Bush in England, had a job available in the company’s West Hartford branch.
“I was a trainee making large pressure vessels for the heating and air conditioning company,” Smith said. “I stayed there for a year and a half when I met someone who was selling real estate. I got busy with that and liked it. In the first six months I made what seemed like a lot of money to a 20-year-old.”
Smith started full time at Compass Realty in Avon as a sales associate before the company was bought out by Prudential Connecticut Realty where he had been recognized as a top agent for eight years.
“I ended up managing their West Hartford and Vernon offices when the two companies merged and was in charge of 60 agents,” he said.
Now Smith’s job as sales manager puts him at the helm of an office of 67 agents.
“Coldwell approached me with a proposal to bring me back to West Hartford. My job is to motivate, educate and get people up to speed with the latest advances that aid in our business,” he said.
The Avon resident and father of one still finds enjoyment from his 30-year real estate career.
“I have the real estate business down by now but it’s about meeting new people, getting to know them and working closely with them on each transaction,” Smith said.
“I love the challenge of solving problems.”
Emily Boisvert is a Hartford Business Journal staff writer.
