Question 1

Why should I pay 2% when I can find an agent at 1%?

Accepted Answer

Because the fee isn’t the cost — the outcome is. A cheap agent at 1% who achieves £50,000 less than asking costs you £40,000 net. A 2% agent who achieves asking price delivers £30,000 more to you — even after the higher fee. At £700k+, the quality of marketing, the calibre of buyer outreach, and the skill of the negotiation make a material difference to the sale price. At this level, you’re not paying for a for-sale board and a Rightmove listing. You’re paying for cinematic video production, a bespoke brochure, a 7-day sequenced launch to buying agents and qualified buyers, and a Chartered Marketer personally managing every element of the sale. The maths is straightforward. I’m happy to walk through the numbers for your specific property.

Question 2

What does the £2,000 + VAT marketing contribution cover?

Accepted Answer

Everything required to present your property at the standard it deserves: • Cinematic property film by Still Moving Media (Aston Martin, Soho Farmhouse pedigree)
• Professional drone photography
• Art-directed interior and exterior photography
• Bespoke 24-page printed brochure
• Paid social media advertising
• Precision-targeted outreach letters This is an investment in your property’s presentation, not an admin fee. Upfront marketing contributions are standard practice in the prestige markets of Australia and the United States, and are increasingly common in the UK at this level. The contribution is paid on instruction and is non-refundable — because the creative work begins immediately.

Question 3

Is the fee negotiable?

Accepted Answer

No. 2% + VAT reflects the service, and the service justifies the fee. I don’t compete on price. I compete on quality of marketing, depth of preparation, and the outcome I achieve for my clients. If your priority is finding the cheapest agent, I’m probably not the right fit — and I’d rather be honest about that upfront.

Question 4

Will I deal with you personally, or will I be passed to a junior?

Accepted Answer

You deal with me. Personally. From the first conversation right through to completion and beyond. No juniors. No Saturday temps. No negotiators you’ve never met showing your home to strangers. I conduct every viewing, handle every negotiation, and manage every conversation. That’s the owner-operator guarantee. I deliberately limit the number of instructions I take so that every client gets the time and attention their property deserves. If I’m at capacity, I’ll tell you honestly rather than stretch the service.

Question 5

How many properties do you handle at once?

Accepted Answer

I limit my instructions carefully — typically no more than a handful at any one time. This isn’t a volume business. Every property I represent receives the same depth of research, the same quality of creative, and the same personal attention. If I’m approaching capacity, I’ll let you know. I’d rather delay an instruction by a few weeks than deliver a diluted service.

Question 6

How will you keep me informed during the sale?

Accepted Answer

Weekly updates as standard — whether there’s news or not. Silence breeds anxiety, and I don’t believe in making clients chase for information. After viewings, you’ll receive detailed feedback — not just “they liked it” but genuine insight into the buyer’s thinking, their position, and their level of interest. Once a sale is agreed, I set up WhatsApp groups connecting all parties (solicitors, brokers, surveyors) so nothing falls through the cracks. You’ll never have to wonder what’s happening.

Question 7

How do you market a property at this level?

Accepted Answer

Very differently from a typical agent. Every property receives a cinematic film produced by Still Moving Media — a production house whose credits include Aston Martin and Soho Farmhouse. Professional drone photography. A bespoke 24-page brochure that I personally art-direct — not a template with your photos dropped in. But marketing isn’t just creative. It’s strategy. Your property launches through a sequenced 7-day plan: buying agents on Day 1, registered buyers on Day 2, targeted outreach letters on Days 3–4, social media teaser on Days 4–5, and portals on Day 7. The most serious buyers see your property before the general market.

Question 8

What are buying agents, and why do they matter?

Accepted Answer

Buying agents are professionals retained by wealthy purchasers to find and secure the right property. At £1M+, they handle the majority of purchases. I maintain direct relationships with The Buying Solution (Savills’ buying agency), Middleton Advisors (Cotswolds specialists), and Garrington — among others. On Day 1 of every launch, your property details go to these agents before the portals go live. Many agents at the mass-market level don’t even know buying agents exist. At prestige, they’re the single most valuable channel.

Question 9

Why don’t you do open houses?

Accepted Answer

Because open houses cheapen prestige properties. At £700k+, your buyers are serious, qualified, and expect discretion. They don’t want to queue behind strangers for a 15-minute window. And you don’t want unvetted visitors walking through your home. Instead, I run a sequenced private launch — carefully managed viewings with pre-qualified buyers, supported by the full creative suite. The result is higher-quality offers from more committed buyers.

Question 10

How long will it take to sell my property?

Accepted Answer

There’s no honest answer I can give without knowing your property, the pricing, and the market conditions. Anyone who quotes you a number before visiting is guessing. What I can tell you is that the first 30 days matter most. A well-priced, beautifully presented property that launches through the right channels will generate serious interest quickly. A property that’s overpriced or poorly marketed can sit for months — and a stale listing is very difficult to revive. My focus is on getting the preparation and the launch right. The timeline follows from there.

Question 11

How do you determine the right price for my home?

Accepted Answer

Evidence, not guesswork. Before I visit, I’ve already pulled the Land Registry data, analysed comparable sales, and run £/sqft calculations and HPI indexation. During the appraisal, I use a three-method valuation: sold comparables, price-per-square-foot analysis, and House Price Index trends. I present the evidence and let you draw your own conclusion. I won’t inflate a price to win the instruction — an overpriced launch is the single most expensive mistake a vendor can make.

Question 12

What happens after an offer is accepted?

Accepted Answer

This is where many sales fall apart — and where proactive management makes the biggest difference. I instruct solicitors the same day. Draft contracts are prepared within 24 hours. I set up WhatsApp groups connecting all parties so progress is visible and accountable. I pre-empt common problems: ordering structural, damp, timber, electrical, and boiler reports upfront to prevent renegotiation after the survey. I normalise the survey process for the buyer (“expect 50+ items — that’s standard for a period property”). I target a 4-week exchange to compress the timeline and reduce fall-through risk. My approach is simple: I don’t ask “any update?” — I ask “what are we waiting for?”

Question 13

You’re not a career estate agent — why should I trust you with my home?

Accepted Answer

Because the skills that matter at this level aren’t the ones they teach in estate agency. I’ve spent 20 years in luxury hospitality — as General Manager at Cowley Manor and The Lakes by yoo, as Commercial Director at GuestHouse Hotels — where looking after discerning clients and delivering exceptional experiences is the day job. I’m a Chartered Marketer (MCIM) — one of the only estate agents in the country with that accreditation. I understand how to position a property, how to build a brand, and how to reach the right audience. I’m also an experienced art director and shoot producer, so when it comes to photography, video, and presenting your home at its best, I’m personally involved in making that happen. Career agents sell houses. I market homes. There’s a meaningful difference at £700k+.

Question 14

What is The Prestige Property Experts?

Accepted Answer

The Prestige Property Experts is the prestige division of The Property Experts — a national network of owner-operated agents. I’m licensed under the Prestige tier, which focuses exclusively on the upper market. The TPE network provides operational support, compliance infrastructure, and access to shared technology. The service, the marketing, and the client experience are entirely mine — my brand, my standards, my personal commitment to every instruction.

Question 15

What makes you different from Knight Frank or Savills?

Accepted Answer

Attention. The kind that comes from being an owner-operator, not a branch of a corporate machine. At the national firms, your property is one of dozens on a branch’s books. Viewings may be conducted by a negotiator who’s never visited the property before. Marketing follows a corporate template. Your dedicated contact may change without warning. With me, you get a Chartered Marketer with a luxury hospitality background who personally art-directs every shoot, conducts every viewing, and handles every negotiation. You get cinematic production by Still Moving Media, not a templated video. You get buying agent outreach on Day 1, not a straight-to-portal launch. The national brands have reach. I have focus. At £700k+ in the Cotswolds, focus wins.

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