About Us

Simon Banks, the owner of Charles Banks & Rea, has been an Estate Agent in Barnes Village since 1983, accumulating a wide range of property related experience along the way. Initially joining Sturgis Estate Agents in 1983 where he became an Associate Director, he left in 1988 to join Friend and Falcke Estate Agents where he spent 16 successful years as Director in charge of their Barnes Village Branch. Having been considering the idea of opening his own Estate Agency for some time, Simon left Friend and Falcke in late 2004 to co-found and open Charles Banks & Rea with his former colleague Charlie Short.

Over the last 23 years Simon has built up extensive experience within this unique property market and comments 'I am very excited with the prospect of working alongside a trusted team of experienced professionals and with building Charles Banks & Rea into a premier property company within Barnes Village'.

Cathy Cooper the Lettings Manager comes to Charles Banks & Rea with 11 years experience within the Lettings industry. Cathy began her career at C Howard King & Partners in Barnes Village in 1997 and quickly established excellent working relationships with many Landlords in the SW13 area. When Winkworth acquired C Howard King & Partners in 2004 Cathy was appointed Legal Manager within the new company and just prior to joining Charles Banks & Rea had been heading up the Lettings Division at one of the Winkworth SW6 offices.

Excited to be working for this high profile independent agency, Cathy is delighted to be back in Barnes Village once again and looks forward to building upon the existing property portfolio at Charles Banks & Rea and to further developing their already established Lettings Division.

Paul Rea spent most of the 1980's working like Simon at Sturgis Estate Agents in their Fulham, Putney & East Sheen branches. Paul comments 'I decided to move onto pastures new when large insurance companies began to acquire independent Estate Agencies and the nature of our business changed. Sales staff were told to wear uniforms and badges and encouraged to sell financial services. My true passion was simply working with people and property and these new constraints seriously muddied the waters.'

Paul has since taken a degree as a mature student, working in Germany and running businesses specialising in the internet and supplying IT services to property companies. When Simon approached him in the setting up of Charles Banks & Rea, Paul jumped at the chance to get re-involved in this independent sales environment based on the simple principles of quality of service & professionalism.


Ben Grossmann is Barnes born and bred having lived here since birth in 1983. Ben was educated locally at Latymer Upper School and went to Nottingham University studying music. Having graduated with a top degree he became a member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Ronnie Scotts Big Band. He played and taught Jazz for three years before deciding to add property experience to his working portfolio. Ben says: "my experience working for Simon during my gap year convinced me that the property services industry was a profession I was keen to explore further at some stage in the future. Knowing Barnes and the local residents as well as I do has helped me fit straight in to this independantly run business and I am thoroughly enjoying working once again with Simon and the team.

Sophie Herbert grew up in Barnes and started her Estate Agency career with Featherstone Leigh in East Sheen during the early 1990's. Sophie quickly became assistant manager of the Richmond branch before becoming manager of their East Sheen branch in 1997. Having spent many very successful years with this company and then following a sabbatical to start a family, Sophie went on to join Chase Buchanan in their St Margarets office in 2006. With a family and living in Barnes Sophie was delighted to be offered a position within the busy Barnes office of Charles Banks & Rea. "It is wonderful I can live and work in the same place. I have many friends and contacts within Barnes Village and I have known Simon since helping him sell one of his own houses in East Sheen in the mid 1990's.

Eva Ward comes to Charles Banks & Rea with five years experience within the sales and lettings industry. Eva began her career at Bairstow Eves in Ealing in August 2005. She then moved on to work for Winkworth in Fulham and was working alongside Cathy Cooper at their Barons Court office giving her support both in sales and lettings.