He Failed at Business, Changed Jobs Every Year… Then Built One of eXp’s Biggest Teams

I Got Fired, Built a £2 Million Business and Sold It. Here's What I Learned

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: * Why I wish I'd started my own business sooner • The mistakes that nearly broke me • What I learned from building and selling a company • Why most estate agents don't need to become better agents, they need to become better business owners • The future of estate agency, AI and brokerage models • The lessons I've taken from 100 podcast conversations 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 [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.

Adam Day Nearly Said No to eXp

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: * Why school results don't define your future • The lessons learned from building and selling businesses • Why community has been central to eXp's growth • The truth about revenue share and agent attraction • AI, automation and whether estate agency is really safe from disruption • The future of self-employed agency in the UK 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 [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 [https://www.keycoaching.co.uk/key-coaching-s-business-gym-1]

1,000 Property Deals Later… Here’s What Nobody Tells You

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: * Why the “impossible” properties are often where the opportunity sits • The reality of landlords leaving the market • Why big corporations buying thousands of homes should make agents pay attention • How AI could massively reduce costs in estate agency • Whether people will eventually choose robots over estate agents • Why property management portfolios are becoming more valuable than ever • The hidden difference between transactional business and genuinely helping people move home 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 [https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 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

She Helped Estate Agents for Years… Then Risked Everything by Becoming One

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 [https://www.ashdownjones.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com] became one of the most recognisable premium estate agency brands in the Lake District, Sam built HomeTruths [https://hometruths.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com]. 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: * Why direct mail is still their single biggest lead generator • How storytelling became the foundation of the brand • The dangers of estate agents all looking the same • Turning down instructions that didn’t fit the vision • Why values only matter when they cost you money • The balance between systems, standards and freedom • Coaching, masterminds and outside perspective • Why business should still feel exciting, even in your late 50s 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 [https://ajmastermind.co.uk/rob]  You can also find out more about AJ Mastermind [https://ajmastermind.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com] and the work Sam and Phil do there.

He Failed at Business, Changed Jobs Every Year… Then Built One of eXp’s Biggest Teams

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: * Why he never stayed in a job longer than a year * The reality of starting out self-employed * Remortgaging his house to launch his business * Driving around in a barely functioning VW Golf while trying to win instructions * The early days of eXp in the UK, when hardly anyone believed it would work * How Footprints grew from a log cabin into one of the biggest teams in eXp UK * Why most agents completely misunderstand what self-employed estate agency actually is * The difference between building income and building something meaningful 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 [https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 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