Never one to shy away from a controversial opinion, Charlie shares his opinions (and the outcome of his testing with an estate agency business) of a new method of bringing properties to market WITHOUT conducting a valuation. Certainly a though provoking proposition, we'd love to know your thoughts on this? In this episode we cover: • Why traditional property valuations may be harming both agents and consumers • Whether estate agents should stop giving valuation...

What does the budget, the premium estate agency market, a life lesson from Mariah Carey, and a questionable Christmas jumper all have in common? I'm glad you asked... All of which feature in this festive Premium Market Update of course! As always, to read Simon Gates' full market report get subscribed to Premium Estate Agency News here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=88ec3e34bc

In this episode, David Lindley sits down with Sam Ashdown - Co-Founder of AshdownJones, a premium estate agency in the Lake District, who have enjoyed huge success since launch; doing things differently to conventional agency! In this conversation we get in to some of those different strategies, including: • From Kitchen Table to Premium Brand: Ashdown Jones launched with no premises, no investor funding and no big backing. It began at Sam’s kitchen table, proof that premi...

The premium market is NOT doing what you might think...! 🤔 Simon Gates kindly sent through his premium market report for the latest month's data, and even he labelled it as 'surprising'... So see what you think, and let me know 🙂 Click here: https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=db74f5b588c5289dd2935b2fe&id=002db01c01 to subscribe to receive Simon's full report (plus an unorthodox top tip coming into the winter period), plus some cracking content from Elaine Penhaul and Simon Leadbetter...

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 O...

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=db74f5b588c5289dd2935...

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, ...

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 Mu...

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...

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-re...

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 fo...

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 thin...

Welcome to the second instalment of our new feature, a (super quick!) monthly update on the premium market. Perhaps you're curious, thinking strategically about the premium market, or are on your way to see a client - hopefully there is some useful information here to help. All stats collated by the numbers man, Simon Gates, and his full in depth market report is available on our monthly newsletter, Premium Estate Agency News. You can check it out, and subscribe for free to receiv...

It has been 10 years (!) since Andrew and I last saw each other, but it was great to reconnect and share his story about how to succeed in the rural premium market in Yorkshire, and the urban prime central London market, too. Surely thats something for everybody!?! Andrew shares his story, from selling ‘back to backs’ in Yorkshire to Mayfair penthouses, and even beyond our shores… Andrew’s career is very unique, so this is a fascinating listen, covering topics like: “It’s different where I ...

Welcome to the first instalment of our new feature, a (super quick!) monthly update on the premium market. Perhaps you're curious, thinking strategically about the premium market, or are on your way to see a client - hopefully there is some useful information here to help. All stats collated by the numbers man, Simon Gates, and his full in depth market report is available on our monthly newsletter, Premium Estate Agency News. You can check it out, and subscribe for free to receive...

In this episode we are take a (virtual) hop across the Irish Sea to speak with Regina Mangan of Liberty Blue estate agents in the beautiful town of Waterford. Regina is a big character in the Irish property market, a successful entrepreneur, best selling author and exceptional estate agent. In this episode we cover: How to use values to run a business Knowing your numbers Succession planning Growing pains The value of mentorship Why attending industry events is so important How ...

Customer identification, targeting your niche, standing out and a modern approach to building a rural-orientated business… just some of the subjects we discuss in this cracking episode with Ross D'Anielo, the co founder of Chartwell Noble. We get into the detail of how Ross started his business, why, and what the future holds for Chartwell Noble. Rightmove vs Social Media, Ross’ most controversial opinion on the industry, how the exclusive/countryside market is different to the volume m...

For well over the asking price (breaking local records), quickly, and at 2%+ fees... This is genuinely a masterclass (a bit of a controversial word!) but there is so much to take away from this for agents, regardless of the market you're in. In this episode, David sits down with Simon Cowie, MD of By Design in Warwickshire and Sutton Coldfield, and Alex Wilcocks, Co-Founder and MD of Burbeck Interiors, to share their strategies for a huge success for a special property in the midlands...