Most successful estate agency stories get rewritten after the event.

Not this one.

In this episode, Andrew and Kenny Goad from The Stow Brothers share the real story behind building one of East London's best-known estate agencies. They openly admit they started without a business plan, expanded faster than they could comfortably afford, and made plenty of mistakes along the way.

We talk about why being a great estate agent isn't enough to build a great business, how marketing became their biggest competitive advantage, why culture and values matter more than flashy branding, and the lessons they've learned from opening multiple branches, acquiring businesses and leading a growing team.

If you're an estate agent, broker or business owner who wants an honest conversation about growth, leadership and what really happens behind the scenes, you'll get plenty from this one.

In this episode we discuss:

🎙 Sponsored by Alto CRM

The CRM built specifically for estate and letting agents. Find out more at https://www.altosoftware.co.uk

Want to build a more profitable estate agency?

📅 Book a free 1:1 Strategy Call
https://calendly.com/robgraves/strategy-call

Most people think luxury estate agency is about selling expensive homes.

Melanie Attwater believes it's about something completely different.

As founder of eXp Luxury UK, Melanie has built her reputation by delivering a premium experience from the very first conversation through to completion. Better marketing. Better communication. Better negotiation. The result? Clients who are happy to pay premium fees because they genuinely see the value.

In this episode we discuss why so many estate agents still compete on price, why property marketing has become far too beige, how video and storytelling can completely transform a listing, and why AI should be used to create better customer experiences rather than simply making agents more efficient.

We also explore the growth of the self-employed brokerage model, the launch of eXp Luxury UK, and why the future of estate agency belongs to those who are prepared to stand out rather than blend in.

Whether you sell £250,000 homes or £5 million country estates, this episode is packed with practical ideas that will help you raise your fees, improve your marketing and create an estate agency people genuinely want to recommend.

This episode is sponsored by Alto.

Alto is the CRM built specifically for estate agents, helping you streamline your business while creating more time to focus on your clients. As a listener of the podcast you can also claim an exclusive discount using code ROB10.

👉 https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/who-we-help/referral/?utm_source=Rob%20Graves&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Alto%20Affiliate&utm_content=ROB10%20discount%20code

If this episode has got you thinking about building a stronger estate agency business rather than simply becoming a busier estate agent, here are a few ways I can help:

Join the Business Gym
https://www.keycoaching.co.uk/key-coaching-s-business-gym-1

Book a free 1:1 Strategy Call
https://calendly.com/robgraves/strategy-call

Thinking about joining eXp?
If you'd like an honest conversation about whether the self-employed brokerage model is right for you, book a chat here:
https://calendly.com/robgraves/30min

Most estate agents think property photography is about taking pictures of houses.

Balazs Kovacs thinks differently.

In this episode, founder of Prime Perspectives, Balazs shares why great property marketing isn't about showing every room. It's about creating a trailer for the film. The film being what it's actually like to live in the property.

We explore how professional photography, floorplans, video and lifestyle content influence buyer behaviour, why some properties stop people scrolling while others get ignored, and the small details that can make a huge difference to enquiry levels and sale prices.

Balazs also shares his remarkable personal journey. Arriving in the UK from Hungary with very limited English, working in restaurants, teaching himself photography and eventually building one of the most respected property marketing businesses in the industry.

Along the way we discuss:

A quick thank you to this episode's sponsor, Alto. Trusted by thousands of estate and letting agents across the UK, Alto helps agencies streamline operations, improve efficiency and deliver a better customer experience. To find out more and claim your exclusive discount, visit:
https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/who-we-help/referral/?utm_source=Rob%20Graves&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Alto%20Affiliate&utm_content=ROB10%20discount%20code

Whether you're a self-employed broker, independent estate agent or agency owner, this episode will make you think differently about how you present property and how buyers make decisions.

Because sometimes the difference between an average listing and a great one isn't the property.

It's the story you tell.

Connect with Balazs and Prime Perspectives: Balazs Kovacs | LinkedIn

Want to build a better estate agency business? : Key Coaching

This week's episode is a little different.

It's the 100th episode of The Utterly Indispensable Podcast for Estate Agents and instead of me interviewing someone else, one of my clients, Peter Kennedy, turns the tables and interviews me.

We talk about the journey from getting fired from my first estate agency job, moving to London at 18, working my way through the corporate world, building a business from my kitchen table, growing it to 30 staff and £3 million turnover, and eventually selling it.

Along the way we discuss:

It's a more personal episode than usual, and probably the most honest conversation I've had on the podcast so far.

And if you've ever wondered who the bloke asking all the questions actually is, this one's for you.

Book A Call - https://calendly.com/robgraves/strategy-call

This episode is proudly sponsored by Alto.

Alto is one of the UK's leading estate agency CRM platforms and is helping agents save time, improve efficiency and deliver a better customer experience through Alto Intelligence, its growing suite of AI-powered tools.

To find out more, visit:

Alto Software

Use discount code ROB10 for 10% off.

Most people think Adam Day spotted eXp, jumped straight in and never looked back.

The truth is very different.

In this episode, Adam reveals how he nearly walked away from eXp before it ever launched in the UK. The Americans wanted one thing. Adam wanted another. At one point the whole deal was on the verge of collapsing.

It's a fascinating insight into one of the biggest success stories in modern estate agency and a reminder that even the opportunities that look obvious in hindsight rarely feel obvious at the time.

We also dive into Adam's journey from leaving school with four GCSEs, through building one of the UK's first online estate agencies, selling Hatched to Connells, and helping turn eXp UK into the largest estate agency brand in the country.

Along the way we discuss:

And somewhere along the way Adam developed a cough so fierce that the podcast came to an abrupt end. By the final few minutes I was genuinely concerned I'd become known as the man who killed Adam Day during a podcast recording.

Thankfully he survived.

This is a brilliant conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, risk, opportunity and why some people seem able to spot the future before everyone else.

This episode is sponsored by Alto, the CRM trusted by thousands of estate agents across the UK. If you're looking to improve efficiency, streamline your processes and make better use of AI within your agency, visit the link below and use discount code ROB10 for an exclusive 10% discount.

Alto: https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/who-we-help/referral/?utm_source=Rob%20Graves&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Alto%20Affiliate&utm_content=ROB10%20discount%20code

Thinking about building something bigger than just another job?

The Business Gym is my coaching and mentoring community for ambitious estate agents and brokers who want to build a more profitable, more valuable business without working every hour God sends.

Find out more here:
https://www.keycoaching.co.uk/key-coaching-s-business-gym-1

Jonathan Rolande has bought, sold, flipped and rescued more than 1,000 properties. He’s seen the market at its best, its worst, and at times, completely lose its mind.

In this episode, we go deep into what really happens behind the headlines. From nightmare cottages in Norfolk with wells in the kitchen, to problem tenants, structural disasters, property investment, AI, institutional landlords, and why the future of estate agency could look very different to what most agents expect.

Jonathan also shares his thoughts on:

There’s plenty of humour in this one, but also some very sharp thinking about where the property market and estate agency industry are heading next.

Jonathan has spent decades inside the industry, from running an estate agency through the crashes and booms, to becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable property commentators across TV, newspapers and radio.

If you work in property, there’s a lot in this conversation that will make you stop and think.

This episode is sponsored by Alto Software

Alto is building AI tools specifically for estate agents, including automation that can handle compliance, workflows and admin tasks that used to eat hours every week.

You can also get 10% off using the code ROB10

This week I’m joined by Sam Ashdown, and this is a fascinating conversation about reputation, risk, marketing, and what happens when you finally decide to put your own advice to the test.

Long before AshdownJones became one of the most recognisable premium estate agency brands in the Lake District, Sam built HomeTruths.

Originally created to help homeowners market “unsellable” properties without simply slashing the price, HomeTruths became known for storytelling, presentation, direct mail and marketing that actually made homes stand out.

Over time, estate agents across the UK started paying attention.

But there was one problem.

Agents kept telling her:

“You’ve never actually done the job yourself.”

So Sam did something most people would never dare to do. She risked the reputation and credibility she’d spent years building and launched her own estate agency from scratch.

The industry response?

Some people openly said she’d fail. Others mocked the branding, the fees, the brochures, the marketing and the way AshdownJones positioned itself.

Instead, they built something different.

In this episode we get into:

This is one of those conversations that goes well beyond estate agency. It’s really about building a business deliberately instead of accidentally.

Sam has also created a listener resource page with free downloads and examples mentioned in the episode:
AJ Mastermind Resources for Rob’s Listeners - https://ajmastermind.co.uk/rob 

You can also find out more about AJ Mastermind and the work Sam and Phil do there.

Most people see the success.

They don’t see the failed businesses, the pink party bus with a stripper pole, the years of job hopping, or the nearly 12 months without earning a penny.

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Gunn for one of the most honest conversations I’ve had on the podcast.

We get into:

There’s also a brilliant discussion around team culture, freedom, growth, and why some agents should scale… and some absolutely shouldn’t.

Scott is open, funny, self-aware and refreshingly honest about the highs, lows and chaos that come with building a business.

If you’ve ever thought about going self-employed, building a team, or creating a business that works differently to the traditional high street model, this one’s well worth your time.

This episode is sponsored by Alto Software

Alto is helping estate agents work smarter with AI powered tools built directly into its CRM, including automated compliance, AI insights and workflow automation designed specifically for estate agency.

You can also get 10% off Alto using code ROB10

Find out more here:
Claim the Alto offer

Most agents don’t leave the industry.
They just stay stuck in it.

In this episode, I sit down with Samantha Cerrone, Director of Cerrone Estates, 5x ICON Agent at eXp and voted Agents’ Agent 2025.

Sam’s journey is anything but typical. From starting at 19 with no idea what estate agency even was, to running branches, stepping into business ownership, getting burned, and then completely changing the game through self-employment.

This is the real story, not the polished version.

We get into what it actually feels like to start from scratch, the moment the numbers finally click and you realise your worth, and the pressure that comes with success when your phone doesn’t stop ringing and your business starts to outgrow you.

We also talk about the stage most agents hit, what eXp call the “brick wall”, where the work is there but the money hasn’t landed yet, and why Sam didn’t hit it… but faced a different kind of challenge instead.

This is about building a business that gives you freedom, not just more work.

If you’re thinking about going self-employed, or you’re already in it and wondering what comes next, this one will land.

ALTO SECTION:

Before you go, quick one.

On the 15th of May, I’m doing something a bit different with Alto.

It’s a live Q&A, completely free, 30 minutes, and I’ll be taking questions directly from estate agents.

No script, no hiding. Just whatever you want to ask.

Growth, instructions, team, stepping back without everything falling apart… all fair game.

I’m actually looking forward to this because being put on the spot is where the good stuff tends to come out.

You can register here:
https://altosoftware.registration.goldcast.io/webinar/0e8ce5a5-8cc1-4509-b699-439b1074f8d1

And if you’re listening to this after the 15th, there should be a recording available if it’s of interest.

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Brady, and this one goes well beyond the usual agency playbook.

We get into what’s really changing in estate agency right now, and why so many agents are busy, but not actually moving forward.

Rob shares his journey from corporate banking into estate agency, scaling a business, and then stepping into coaching and tech with Iceberg Digital and Estate Agency X. Along the way, we unpack some uncomfortable truths about how most agencies operate.

We talk about:

There’s also a more personal side to this conversation. Rob opens up about mental health, loss, and how that’s shaped the way he shows up in business and life.

If you want to connect with Rob or explore what he’s doing with Estate Agency X and Iceberg Digital, you can find him here:
👉  linktr.ee