In this extraordinary episode of Property-Porn Stars, David Lindley sits down with Andrew “Diesel” Bennett, a former police officer whose life was turned upside down when he suddenly lost his entire memory at the age of 30.

Andrew shares the unimaginable story of rebuilding his identity from scratch, relearning who he was, rediscovering his family, and rebuilding his life through sheer determination. From there, he found purpose in the world of performance psychology, going on to work with Olympians, Paralympians, business leaders, and Formula 1 champions, including Fernando Alonso.

Together, David and Andrew explore what “high performance” really means, the psychology of resilience, and how understanding yourself and your human wiring can transform both life and business. They also dive into practical strategies for estate agents and entrepreneurs: how to recover quickly from setbacks, build resilience, and understand clients on a deeper human level.

It is one of the most powerful and moving conversations yet, raw, inspiring and packed with lessons for anyone who wants to perform at their best.

In this conversation, we cover: 

 • Extraordinary Life Story: Andrew recounts his time in the police, exposure to trauma, and the sudden onset of dissociative amnesia that wiped his entire memory at age 30.
 • Rebuilding from Zero: How he relearned everyday life, from making coffee to re-meeting his wife and family, while living with a 24-hour memory span for two years.
 • Finding Purpose: Transition from police work to Porsche driver, to VIP chauffeur at Heathrow, to stroke survivor, and ultimately to high-performance coach.
 • Turning Trauma into Strength: How personal tragedy, including his brother’s suicide, became the catalyst for understanding mental health and resilience.
 • Defining High Performance: “Anyone who wants to be better than they were yesterday is a high performer.”
 • Practical Mindset Tools:
 • There is no failure, only feedback. Learn, adapt, and move forward.
 • Resilience is “how quickly you return to standard performance after a setback.”
 • Language, Attitude, Behaviour: the core framework for personal and team success.
 • Understanding People: How to read communication cues — visual, auditory, and kinesthetic — to better connect with others (perfect for agents understanding clients).
 • Spotting a Liar: Insights from his police training on reading body language and eye-movement cues.
 • Performance in Sport & Business: Lessons from coaching Formula 1 drivers and Olympians, and why mindset and data awareness separate good from great.
 • Human Connection: Why success begins with self-understanding and empathy. “Know your human being.”

Is the premium market struggling with pre-budget nerves?

The answer might surprise you - find out in this month's premium market update in 3 minutes.

(OK the video is longer than that, but I threw in some brucey bonuses from Simon Gates full report, which you comes out tomorrow, subscribe in the link below)

Also, did you get the answer to the 'cliff hanger' right?

Read last months, and subscribe to receive October's edition, here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=b4ba42cc4f

In this episode of Property-Porn Stars, David Lindley and Matt Giggs sit down with Sarah-Louise Fairburn, Founder and MD of Imp & Maker, the luxury hamper and gifting company shaking up the food & drink market.

Sarah-Louise shares her journey from running one of the UK’s biggest farming businesses to starting again with a disruptive new brand. We discuss the challenges of building a luxury business, the sacrifices behind the glossy exterior, and the importance of resilience, vision, and surrounding yourself with the right people. She opens up about balancing entrepreneurship with being a single mother of four, lessons from her mentors, and why disruption and high standards are at the heart of her success.

Sarah-Louise also appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, pitching her vision for Imp & Maker to the panel of investors. She shares candidly what the experience was really like behind the scenes — from the preparation and intensity of the pitch, to how the Dragons reacted, and the lessons she took away from being in that high-pressure spotlight. It’s a fascinating look at what most viewers never get to see on the show.

If you’re an entrepreneur, business leader, or simply curious about what it takes to build a modern luxury brand, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration and honesty. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

 • Vision & Disruption: Imp & Maker was born to modernise gifting — every item should be used, loved, and create memories (not just wicker baskets and re-gifted tea).
 • High Standards: Sarah-Louise refuses to settle; inspired by mentors like Judith Batchelar (ex-Sainsbury’s), she obsesses over every detail of brand experience.
 • Entrepreneurial Drive: Built one of the UK’s largest egg brands, then started again from scratch after a separation — now determined to prove herself again.
 • Resilience & Sacrifice: Talks openly about scars from setbacks, grueling challenges, long hours, and the emotional toll of building a business.
 • Surroundings Matter: Emphasises the importance of the right people, both in personal life and in business networks.
 • Scaling Challenges: From supply chain problems to expensive lessons in Google ads and tech systems — learned agility and adaptability are key.
 • Brand Positioning: Differentiates through modern, artisan, relevant products and an exceptional unboxing experience.
 • Women in Business: Candid reflections on being a female entrepreneur, navigating biases, and inspiring her daughters to believe they can achieve anything.
 • Health & Balance: Stresses discipline in eating, exercise, and family meal times as ways to cope with burnout.
 • Long-Term Ambition: Aims to build one of the UK’s biggest gifting brands and, longer term, help other entrepreneurs from a place of real experience.

The usual monthly premium market update, but featuring the stats man himself Simon Gates! So instead of the usual 3 or 4 minute long summary, we analyse the premium markets performance this year so far, and how August fared, in light of political turmoil affecting the market. 

What all this means to you, your sellers and your buyers? Find out here!

In this episode of Property-Porn Stars, I am joined by a hugely successful premium agent, with arguably the most incredible story in the industry.  

Alice Watson-Smith, Managing Director of Fine & Country French Riviera & Provence shares her story, and her insight, grit and determination needed to succeed in a hugely competitive market. 

Alice’s story is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Zimbabwe, her family lost everything overnight when their farm was seized during Mugabe’s land reforms. Forced to flee to South Africa with only suitcases in the car, they eventually rebuilt their lives in Europe, starting again in Cannes.

Today, Alice leads one of the most respected premium real estate agencies on the French Riviera. She shares:

- The dramatic story of leaving Zimbabwe and starting over from nothing
- How her family turned chance property purchases during the Cannes Film Festival into a thriving business
- The six tough years of door-knocking and prospecting it took to establish their office, eventually building the business up to 18 self employed agents working alongside her
- Why she championed *exclusive mandates* in a chaotic French system, changing how sellers and agents work
- Insights into today’s Riviera market; from €400k apartments to €5m+ villas, and a client base 60% international, 40% French
- The importance of resilience, reputation, and daring greatly in both business and life

And lastly, a profound message that has stuck in my mind for 5 years since I heard Alice share it on stage…maybe it will stick with you too. 

If you’re interested in luxury property, resilience in business, or what it really takes to build success from the ground up, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

In this episode of Property-Porn Stars, host David Lindley speaks with Mark Breffit, a leading figure in London’s premium property market.

With over £1 billion of property sold, Mark shares his journey from working at Dexters, Knight Frank, and Hamptons Private Office in prime central London, to launching his latest venture — KnokKnok, a prop-tech platform aiming to reshape how buyers and agents connect.

We cover:
•Life inside corporate agency vs the independent mindset
•Mark’s early career experience with Airbnb and what he learned about innovation
•Why tech, personal branding, and consumer behaviour are reshaping estate agency
•The inspiration behind KnockKnock, and how it bridges the gap between portals, social media, and direct client connections

If you’re interested in property, startups, or the future of estate agency, this is a must-watch conversation.

In this super-short episode, we cover the headlines of what is going on in the premium property market (spoiler, there is lots of activity!) for July 2025. 

All stats provided by Simon Gates, whose full report will be out on Friday as part of Premium Estate Agency News - you can read last month's episode and subscribe for free here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=dd3de8a355

Is your business worth what you think it is?? 

This is crucial listening for agents, in order to avoid a nasty surprise down the road, and to set their business up for future success if and when they look to exit. 

This month’s guest is Adam J. Walker, who is a Business Transfer Agent (or, put another way, he is an agent for Estate Agencies!). With decades of experience and having accomplished over 700 agency sales in his career, he shares with us the pitfalls, traps, and value-reducing mistakes agents make… as well as how to set yourself up for maximum value on your exit. 

Plus, how all this plays out in the new world of Self-Employed agents, as well as the future of valuations in the agency market. 

In this conversation, we cover:

Lifestyle business vs. saleable business, how even profitable businesses can be almost unsellable.

The importance of lettings in business valuation

Valuation benchmarks, and how to sell for more…

Common deal structures, and what to avoid

Top mistakes agency owners make when selling

When to start planning a sale

What the characteristics of a saleable agency are (and they might not be what you think)

Industry trends, changes over the past 25+ years, and what to expect next

Perhaps most interestingly, when Adam thinks that traditional sales agencies will be the most valuable… i.e., when to sell!

Certainly not one to miss….

Welcome to the next instalment of our, super quick, premium market reports. 

This month we review the headline stats for the first half of 2025 and how the premium property market has performed, and it's some particularly interesting listening! 

All stats provided by Simon Gates, and you can read his full market report (as well as his top 5 Google Chrome extensions tips, newly updated!) in his article for Premium Estate Agency News, out on Tuesday 22nd July. 

Subscribe for free, and catch up on last month's content, here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=bfb6ee9673

Hosted by David Lindley, with expert insight from Simon Leadbetter, Elaine Penhaul, and Simon Gates.

Join four leading voices in the premium property sector for a candid and thought-provoking discussion on the state of the UK’s high-end housing market. In this special episode of Property Porn Stars, we dive into the findings of the 2025 Voice of the Agent Survey—with over 1,000 agents contributing their views.

📈 In this episode, we explore:
 • What agents across the country really think is happening in the premium market
 • Why understanding market sentiment is crucial when dealing with homes at the top end
 • How staging, marketing, and messaging are evolving in today’s landscape
 • The tension between data-driven insights vs. agent anecdotes
 • The role of collaboration and how different industry perspectives can shape better outcomes

Whether you’re an estate agent, property professional, or simply intrigued by the premium market, this episode offers rich insights, expert commentary, and lively debate from a panel deeply embedded in the industry (even if not currently practising agents themselves).

👥 Featuring contributors from:
 • Lemon and Lime Interiors (Elaine Penhaul)
 • Opening the Gates (Simon Gates)
 • Unchained Marketing (Simon Leadbetter)
 • By Design (David Lindley)

📣 Don’t just take one opinion—hear the collective voice of over 1,000 agents and the commentary that brings it to life.

👉 Watch now, and let us know your take in the comments!

Subscribe to receive Premium Estate Agency News, featuring articles from Simon, Simon, Elaine and I each month, here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=dcada24633

#PremiumProperty #EstateAgency #VoiceOfTheAgent #UKHousingMarket #PropertyPodcast #ByDesign #PropertyPornStars