50 a week after leaving school at 16 with a couple of O-levels. He attended Maidstone Technical College to study commerce, book-keeping and economics, and began working at Geering and Colyer in Maidstone in 1968, where he met his wife Sue, the daughter of the boss. Emson was married to Sue for 50 years; she died six years ago.
He is survived by his two children: James, 52, who is managing director of the company, and Rebecca, 55, whose husband Steve handles IT. Emson was awarded an MBE for services to vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in Kent. He launched his first estate agency, Clive Emson and Co, in Hythe in 1973, and merged it with Ward and Partners in 1983.
Ward and Partners was taken over by Prudential in 1986; Emson resigned as regional director three years later. He then opened his own firm in Folkestone during the recession and later took over a small industrial unit on Medway City Estate in Strood. The company relocated to the Kent County Showground at Detling, where the Clive Emson Conference Centre now hosts six-weekly land and property sales.
Emson once lost £250,000 in a failed venture opening a branch in New York on advice from a colleague of Donald Trump. His regular appearances on Homes under the Hammer made him a familiar face to millions of daytime viewers. The exact cause of his death has not been confirmed, and details of any funeral or memorial service have not been announced.
Emson's family said he died on Wednesday with his family by his side. His career began humbly, leaving school at 16 with only a couple of O-levels before attending Maidstone Technical College. He met his wife Sue while working at Geering and Colyer, where she was the daughter of the boss.
The couple were married for 50 years before her death six years ago. Emson's business acumen saw him launch his first agency in Hythe in 1973, later merging with Ward and Partners. After Prudential's takeover, he struck out on his own, opening a firm in Folkestone during a recession.
The company eventually moved to the Kent County Showground, where the conference centre named after him hosts regular auctions. Despite his success, Emson faced setbacks, including a £250,000 loss from a failed New York branch advised by a Trump associate. His MBE recognized his work with vulnerable young people in Kent.
Emson's television appearances brought him national recognition, making him a familiar face to daytime viewers.