Welcome to Property-Porn Stars, the premium property podcast for property professionals who are either working in, or aspiring to work in, the premium home market, brought to you by your hosts David Lindley and Matt Giggs. The 'Property-Porn Stars' are the guests joining us in the studio, each of them excellent in their own field when it comes to the premium property markets, while the hosts interview them about their approach, what they've learned, and what they would advise for others working in the premium market to add significant value to their businesses. If the premium property market is a subject you want to learn more about, or even if it is to take some of the insights you will learn here into another market, you are sure to gain lots of value from listening. On behalf of the show's hosts, David and Matt, we are incredibly grateful for everyone who gives up their time to listen, and we are always eager for feedback on subjects, guests and questions. Don't forget to the the subscribe button, and thank you for listening!
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60 recent
August 12, 2026Episode 5042 min
Royalty, Removals, and the Real Meaning of White Glove...#49 Nicholas Illingworth, Abels Removals.
We speak to a lot of agents in the premium market here on the podcast, but often like to engage with those in closely related industries as there's lots that can be learned from their perspective on the same market. In this episode, Nicholas Illingworth of Abels shares his insights, from what is arguably the most 'premium' removals company in the UK. We get into: - The Royal Warrant, demystified - How discretion is the product - What "white glove" actually means - The "too cheap to trust" story - How much more Abels cost, and why people pay it - Turnkey, taken to the extreme! - How recommendations are 85% to 90% of the business - Why agents should care commercially... - The premium view on referral fees - Hire for attitude, and the multi-brand lesson We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!
July 31, 20265 min
Premium Market Update - July 2026
Everything you need to know about whats going on in the premium property market right now, plus, a summary of what has happened so far in the first half of 2026. Stats supplied, as always, by the man in the know Simon Gates. Back next month with another update!
June 24, 20264 min
Premium Property Market Update June 2026
Everything you need to know about the premium market in 4 minutes... PLUS some good news (😮), the most important thing for premium agents to consider right now, and a dangerous foray into politics ( Simon Gates sent me the stats 3 days ago, so I had to wing that bit 😂). Back next month with another market update 😁
June 3, 20261 hr 5 min
PRIME CUT 2026: What Sellers Actually Want Agents To Do...
PRIME CUT 2026 is here. In this special episode, David Lindley is joined by Simon Leadbetter, Simon Gates and Elaine Penhaul to break down the Voice of the Agent Survey and what it really means for the premium property market. We get into what premium sellers actually want from their agent (spoiler: it's not the lowest fee), why the biggest brands are losing market share, how AI should and shouldn't be used at this level, and why emotional intelligence is becoming the rarest and most valuable asset an agent can have. This conversation covers: - What premium sellers actually want from their agent - Fee is only important to a third of sellers, even below £500k - Why the cheapest agent is often the most expensive - Premium clients want advice, not updates - The agent as conductor of an orchestra - The biggest premium brands are all losing market share - Breaking into the premium market and the moat around it - AI: automate the predictable, humanise the exceptional - Emotional intelligence as increasingly rare capital - A two-speed premium market We only release one episode like this a year, so don't miss out on 2026's PRIME CUT...
May 18, 20264 min
Premium Market Update - May 2026
There's a fair bit going on in the world right now 😅 But how has that affected the premium property market? You might be surprised. Everything you need to know about the current state of the market, and whats happened so far this year, in 4 mins. Thanks as always to Simon Gates for the stats - and his full report is available at the following link: https://bydesignhomes.com/blogs/april-2026-uk-premium-property-market-update
April 27, 20263 min
Premium Market Update - April 2026
Here is everything you need to know about the premium property market for March '26, as well as the year to date (and what a year it has been!) in around 4 minutes. The results might surprise you... Thanks as always to the stats-man Simon Gates for providing the information for this update (and apologies for my croaky voice!)
April 13, 202646 min
"Getting Out of Your Own Head...and Into the Premium Market" #48 Amanda Haworth
David is joined by Amanda Haworth, the Managing Director of By Design Horsham and Haywards Heath. In this episode, we cover: Why Amanda fell out of love with estate agency entirely: The struggle to find a role that matched her experience while also working around family life, and why stepping away from the industry was actually the best thing she could have done. How this podcast helped bring her back. Amanda was listening to Property Porn Stars while out of the industry, and hearing from other agents who'd made the move into premium was the catalyst that made her think "if they can do it, why can't I?" The real differences between mainstream and premium agency. Fewer properties, higher fees, more demanding clients, 24/7 availability, and why it's fundamentally a different job rather than just a more expensive version of the same one. Getting your first 2-3 premium instructions (and why they're everything). How to break into a market where you haven't yet got the track record, and why marketing, storytelling, and testimonials from those early deals build the platform for everything that follows. Fees in the premium market. Why percentage fees are higher at the top end and how that changes the economics of your business, enabling a completely different level of service. Gender in the premium property market. An honest conversation about whether being a woman in this space is an asset or a barrier, how you prove yourself, and what Amanda would say to the version of herself two years ago who was wondering whether to go for it. Imposter syndrome and "faking it till you make it". Amanda's brilliant reframe: she's not faking the job, she's faking the confidence before walking into situations that feel uncomfortable. A subtle but important distinction that most agents will relate to. Dealing with the bad weeks. Lost instructions, fallen-through sales, numbers not where you want them. How Amanda manages her mindset when things aren't going to plan and keeps coming back to "I do know what I'm doing." Why referrals are the ultimate compliment. When a client puts their personal relationship on the line to recommend you, that tells you more about the value you're delivering than any metric ever could. What's next for Amanda and By Design. Growing market share, potentially growing the team, and where she wants to take the business over the coming years. And a lot more besides. This is a great conversation with a brilliant agent, and a lovely person, we hope you take away shed loads of value from this one... Enjoy!
March 24, 20264 min
Premium Market Update - March 2026
Everything you need to know about the premium property market so far this year, in 4 minutes or so. All stats provided by the man in the know, Simon Gates!
March 8, 202652 min
Prejudice, Premium Property, and Proving Yourself... International Women's Day Special Episode.
A different kind of episode to the 'usual programming', but one that has huge importance. Regardless of your gender, well worth listening to, but especially so if you are considering moving into the premium market. To celebrate International Women's Day, and recorded the day after the Women in Estate Agency Conference, David sits down with three brilliant By Design MD's, Katie Solaru, Marie Fritz, and Amanda Haworth, to get into the details of what impact their gender has had on their career, and what advice they can offer others who might be considering the premium market, too. We cover a lot of ground, including: Whether sexism and gender bias are actually better or worse in the premium property market. Real experiences of female estate agents dealing with sexism from clients and colleagues. Why women often feel they have to prove themselves more than men in estate agency. The surprising gender statistics in the industry: 56% of estate agents are women, yet only around 8% of self-employed agents are women. Why so few women start their own agency businesses despite making up the majority of the workforce. How traditional high street agency structures and promotion opportunities can limit female career progression. The impact of motherhood, childcare costs, and rigid working hours on women’s careers in property. Why the self-employed agency model can offer greater flexibility for parents. The safety risks female agents sometimes face when meeting clients and conducting viewings. The reality of building a personal brand on social media, including unwanted messages and harassment. The mindset required to succeed as a self-employed agent, including resilience, confidence, and entrepreneurial drive. Practical advice for women entering the industry: build confidence, expect rejection, find supportive networks, and learn as you go. Practical advice, experience, shocking stories, and much more - we hope you enjoy this very special episode.
February 24, 20263 min
Premium Market Update - February 2026
Everything you need to know about the premium property market so far this year, in 3 minutes... And its an interesting one - encouraging numbers in some aspects, and a clear divide emerging for which homes sell, and which don't! Stats provided as ever by the man in the know, Simon Gates , and I'll leave a link to his full market report below which is well worth a read for a deeper dive into whats going in the market. Back with another update next month! Simon's full premium property market report:https://bydesignhomes.com/blogs/january-20226-uk-premium-property-market-update
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