Hiring in estate agency looks simple. It isn’t.

The talent pool is tight, the wrong hire is expensive, and yet most businesses are still relying on rushed decisions, gut feel, and a stack of CVs that all look the same.

In this episode, I sit down with Sally Asling, founder of ProFind Property Recruitment, who brings 30 years of experience in the property sector and a very different approach to hiring.

This isn’t about filling roles quickly. It’s about getting it right.

We get into:

Sally doesn’t sit on the fence. Her approach is targeted, honest, and built around fit, not volume.

If you’re hiring, thinking about hiring, or frustrated with the results you’re getting, this will make you rethink how you approach it.

Because recruitment done properly isn’t a cost.

It’s a competitive advantage.

Sponsor

This episode is supported by Alto.

Alto is a CRM used by a huge number of UK estate agents, and their new Alto Intelligence is built to take care of the day to day work that slows your team down.

From handling leads to surfacing insights and managing compliance, it frees your team up to focus on what actually makes you money, winning instructions and getting deals done.

The result is simple. More time, better decisions, and more deals, without needing a bigger team.

👉 Take a look here:here
👉 Use code ROB10 for 10% off

And as always, I only partner with companies I believe genuinely add value. Alto backing the podcast means I can keep pushing this forward and getting better content out to you.

Everyone’s talking about AI.

Most of it is noise.

In this episode, I sit down with Diana Simpson-Hernandez, founder of Aletheai, to cut through it and get to what actually matters, what AI really means for estate agents on the ground.

Not theory. Not hype. Real application.

Diana’s building a decision intelligence engine designed to sit alongside your CRM and answer three brutally important questions:

Who should you be speaking to
Why them
And what you should do next

Because let’s be honest, most agents are still working off instinct, gut feel, and a lot of wasted calls.

We dig into:

There’s also a fascinating discussion around whether AI can truly innovate, or whether it’s just reflecting what we already know.

If you’ve ever looked at your CRM and thought “there must be a better way than this”… this is the episode.

Because the future isn’t about doing more.

It’s about doing the right things, at the right time, with the right people.

Most estate agents chase deals.
Kristjan Byfield built a business.

In this episode, Kristjan, Co-Founder of The Depositary and Base Property Specialists, breaks down what really drives long-term success in estate agency, and why most agents are focused on the wrong things.

Starting out as a professionally trained actor, Kristjan’s journey into property was anything but planned. But what followed was a relentless focus on customer experience, recurring revenue, and building a business model that actually works without constant pressure.

We get into:

There’s a lot of honesty in this one. No hype, no shortcuts, just a clear look at what actually works.

If you’re serious about building something sustainable, not just staying busy, this one’s worth your time.

Starting a business is exciting.
Running one a year later… that’s where the real lessons are.

A year ago, Dan Firth came on the podcast just as Bid was getting started.

Now we’re back to find out what’s really happened since.

Because starting a business is one thing.
Living with it day to day is something else entirely.

In this episode, Dan shares the reality of building Bid over the last year, from a small founding team to a growing business, and the lessons that only come from being in it.

We get into:

There’s also a brilliant conversation around culture, values, and what it really means to be a “partner” rather than just another supplier in the estate agency world.

If you’re building a business, or thinking about it, this is the bit no one tells you.

Not the idea.
Not the launch.

What happens next.

Most estate agents think going self-employed is the answer.
More freedom. More money. More control.

The reality? It’s a different game entirely.

In this episode, I sit down with James White, MD of Belong Estate Agency, a man with nearly four decades in the industry who’s seen it all… from tea boy on £27.50 a week to running high-volume branches, partnerships, and building his own brand from scratch.

We get into the stuff that actually matters:

James doesn’t hold back, whether it’s calling out industry behaviour, challenging the big portals, or admitting where he’s had to rebuild his own confidence.

This is not theory.
This is lived experience, mistakes, scars, and hard-earned lessons.

If you’re thinking about going alone… or already have…
you need to hear this.

What does it take to lead an estate agency that’s been around for eight decades?

In this episode, I sit down with David Powell, CEO of Andrews Property Group, to talk about leadership, legacy, and the challenge of evolving a business with deep roots in the property industry.

David shares his journey through the sector, from the early days of his career to taking the helm at Andrews, and what he discovered when he stepped inside a company with such a long history and unique purpose.

We talk about:

This conversation goes beyond transactions and market trends. It’s about people, culture, and what happens when a property business is built to last.

If you’re interested in leadership, estate agency, or what it takes to run a long-standing brand in a changing market, this is a fascinating listen.

You Can’t Buy Trust.

You can buy leads.
You can buy clicks.
You can buy attention.

But when a homeowner Googles your name, none of that matters.

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel “Danno” Vivarelli, CEO of Starloop, to explore the one thing that actually decides who gets the call first in today’s market: trust.

Not the fluffy kind.
The visible, measurable, public kind.

We talk about:

Trust has always mattered in estate agency.

What’s changed is this:
It’s now public. It’s searchable. And it’s influencing decisions before you even walk through the door.

If you think reviews are just a vanity metric, this conversation might make you rethink that.

Because you can’t buy trust.
But you can build it.

To connect with Daniel, visit starloop.com or email [email protected].

For years, estate agents have shouted about sales agreed, new instructions and record prices.

Ben Madden says that’s the problem.

In this episode, I sit down with the founder of Digital Sparks, Fine & Country operator, and serial business builder to unpack a simple truth:

Attention is the currency of modern business.
And most agents are broke.

Ben shares the unfiltered story of building and exiting Thorgills, surviving the 2008 crash, navigating Brexit, scaling to 30%+ market share in West London, and why resilience beats perfect timing every time

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We dive into:

Ben doesn’t believe in buzzwords. He believes in stories. Real ones. The fall-through. The mistake. The lesson. The bit that actually proves your value.

If AI is levelling the playing field, personal brand is how you rise above it.

This one’s about visibility, consistency, and having the courage to put your face to your business before someone else does.

Because in a world where everyone claims to be “honest and trustworthy,” the only thing left is being unmistakably you.

Enjoy.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Scantlebury, founder of ProConvey — and a man on a mission to fix one of the biggest bottlenecks in our industry.

Chris spent a decade inside conveyancing. He’s seen the chaos. The delays. The endless back-and-forth. The duplicated AML checks. The paper forms. The “we’re waiting on the other side” syndrome.

So he did something about it.

ProConvey’s Digital Sales Ready Packs are designed to get everything sorted on day one — ID checks, Source of Funds, Material Information A–C, TA forms, title documents, EPC data, even searches and contract packs. The result?

⏱️ Completions shaved by 20+ days
📉 Fall-through rates reduced dramatically
📈 A faster, cleaner, more professional pipeline

We get into the uncomfortable truths too.

Why do some agents resist upfront information?
Is the industry addicted to slow?
Are panel conveyancers creating a race to the bottom?
And could AI finally help us hit 28-day transactions?

This isn’t theory. It’s a proper look under the bonnet of how deals actually get done — and why speed, structure, and systems matter more than ever.

If you’re serious about improving pipeline velocity, client experience, and profitability, this one’s for you.

You can find Chris and book a demo at www.proconvey.co.uk or connect with him directly on LinkedIn.

Because 19 weeks might be normal.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Opening your first estate agency is brave.

Opening your second is something else entirely.

In this episode, I sit down with Pete Courtis, owner of The Mather Partnership in Helston and Hayle, to talk about what really happens when you decide to expand.

We cover the part no one talks about.

The empty office.
The six month wait for income.
The recruitment mistakes.
The second guessing.
The cost of Rightmove before you’ve banked a single pound.

Pete bought his original business at 27 on a seller finance deal. He ran sales and lettings. He sold the lettings department, calling it both his worst financial decision and his best lifestyle decision. He rebuilt after losing key team members to a competitor.

But this episode centres on the difficult second office.

What it takes emotionally.
What it costs financially.
Why it rarely performs in year one.
And how to structure it so it doesn’t quietly damage your main branch.

We also dig into culture, recruitment, AI, and why average estate agents might struggle in the years ahead.

If you are thinking about opening another branch, this conversation might save you a lot of stress.

Growth sounds glamorous.

The second office is where it gets real.