If you had to start your estate agency again tomorrow, knowing everything you know now, what would you do differently?

In this episode, James Kendall and Dave Warburton are joined by Simon Gates for a detailed conversation about how they would build an estate agency from scratch in 2026.

Simon draws on conversations with hundreds of agents to explain why there is no single winning business model. High street, self-employed, brokerage, boutique and volume models can all work. The bigger mistake is trying to be everything to everyone. His advice is to decide exactly what you want to be known for and commit fully to it.

The trio discuss whether they would open a high street office, how tightly they would niche their patch and why your personal brand may be more important than your company brand when starting out.

They also reveal where they would spend their first marketing budget. Direct mail, video and brand come out on top, while expensive offices, unnecessary technology, multiple portals and scattergun leaflet drops are questioned.

Fees inevitably come into the conversation too. Would they launch immediately at 2% with no stock or track record? The consensus is that you should never build your lead generation around being cheap, although there may be occasions early on where doing a strategic fee deal helps secure the right instruction and build credibility.

Simon then answers one of the most useful questions in the episode: how would you get your first ten instructions? His answer starts with the phone. Contact everyone you know, tell them what you're doing, ask for introductions, reviews and opportunities. If he needed an instruction that day, he would then go and knock on doors.

The group also discuss hiring, outsourcing and why business owners need to remove themselves from low-value administration as early as possible so they can focus on winning stock and generating revenue.

Finally, Simon shares perhaps the most important lesson he would implement from day one: mindset. Skills, marketing and systems matter, but if you don't genuinely believe you are good enough to win the instruction, command the fee or compete at the premium end, that doubt will follow you into the living room.

A practical episode for anyone starting an agency, going self-employed or rebuilding an existing business with the benefit of hindsight.