There are only three things that decide whether a house sale succeeds or quietly goes wrong:

The agent.
The pricing strategy.
And the marketing.

Get any one of them wrong and the seller loses — often tens of thousands — without ever realising why.

This episode digs into a truth most people only understand after a failed sale:
buyers don't just judge the house — they judge who is selling it.

Weak agents, weak questioning, weak positioning and weak marketing send the wrong signals to buyers.

Strong agents do the opposite — they control perception, pricing psychology, and the narrative of the deal from day one.

Samantha Cerrone is a real-world example of what happens when all three pillars are done properly.

Not theory.

Not branding fluff.

Results.

If you're a seller, this episode could save you from making a very expensive mistake.

If you're an agent, it will force you to confront whether you're adding value — or quietly destroying it.

Most estate agents don't lose instructions because of fees, price, or the market.

They lose because they don't know how to tell the truth — or don't have the skill to make that truth land without losing the deal.

In this episode, John Savage is joined by Geoff Ketterer, an elite-level remote closer who has delivered tens of millions of dollars in high-ticket sales, to expose why most agents struggle to win instructions and why "I need to think about it" is usually self-inflicted.

They break down why weak soft skills, poor discovery, and scripted conversations kill deals before they ever start — and how elite salespeople use structure, honesty, and pre-sale frameworks to sell homes long before a buyer ever walks through the door.

This is not an episode about scripts, closing tricks, or sounding clever.

It's about understanding the game, running the conversation properly, and winning by being the agent who can tell the truth — and still get paid.

If you want to stop discounting, stop chasing, and start winning instructions on your terms, this episode is required listening.

In this episode of the Zero BS Estate Agency Podcast, John Savage speaks with Ian Macbeth, founder of Avocado Property, about what truly maximises a seller's result — and why most estate agents get it wrong.

Ian explains why homes don't sell because they're marketed harder, listed longer, or pushed across more portals. They sell when an agent identifies the one defining factor that matters to the right buyer and builds the strategy around it.

This conversation covers:

• The difference between marketing a property and actually selling it

• Why portals like Rightmove are over-credited for results

• The shift from traditional estate agency to a consultancy-led model

• Why understanding the ideal buyer matters more than exposure

• How AI is changing estate agency — and where it genuinely adds value

• Why the real job is facilitating the move, not just agreeing a price

Ian also shares how ultra-endurance running shaped his mindset around pressure, leadership, and long-term decision-making in business.

This episode is essential listening for estate agents who want clearer thinking, better decisions, and accountability for results — and for sellers who want to understand what really makes the difference when selling a home.

Ian Macbeth – Founder, Avocado Property
🌐 Website: https://avocadopropertyagents.co.uk
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-macbeth-5190a926
📧 Email: ian@avocadopropertyagents.co.uk

Most property deals don't collapse because of interest rates or lenders.

They collapse because buyers aren't properly qualified.

In this episode of Zero BS Estate Agency, John Savage speaks with Emily Franks, an experienced mortgage broker, about the real financial reasons property sales fall apart — often weeks before agents realise there's a problem.

Emily explains why most finance-led fall-throughs come down to valuation issues, poor preparation, or buyers approved on hope instead of lender policy. She breaks down what proper buyer qualification actually involves, why an Agreement in Principle means very little on its own, and how experienced brokers protect deals with contingency planning long before an offer is accepted.

This episode is essential listening for:

• Estate agents who want fewer fall-throughs

• Sellers who want to avoid wasted time and failed chains

• Buyers who want their purchase to actually complete

Straight-talking insight into mortgage finance, risk management, and deal protection — without jargon, hype, or excuses.

00:00 Understanding Sale Collapses and Financial Challenges
03:13 The Role of Preparation in Successful Financing
05:51 The Importance of Proper Qualification for Buyers
09:07 Navigating Risks in Buyer Financing
11:59 The Impact of Broker Experience on Deal Success
15:01 The Passion Behind Mortgage Brokering
18:02 Advice for Sellers and Buyers in the Market
20:59 Additional Financial Services Offered by Emily

If you're tired of fall-throughs, weak buyers, and deals collapsing late in the process, this episode explains exactly where most agents go wrong — and what elite operators do differently.

👉 Follow the podcast for weekly no-BS conversations on buyer qualification, deal protection, pricing strategy, and negotiation.

If you're selling a property, this episode will change how you judge offers.
Not all buyers are equal — and the wrong one can cost you months.

👉 Learn how to spot financially solid buyers and protect your sale before you accept an offer.

In this episode of the Zero BS Estate Agency Podcast, John Savage is joined by Felix Bravo, Managing Director of eXp International, for a deep, honest conversation about where estate agency is heading — and why the self-employed model is accelerating globally.

Felix shares a behind-the-scenes view of eXp's international growth, the realities of scaling across dozens of countries, and what truly separates high-performing agents from everyone else. This isn't theory or corporate spin — it's a grounded discussion based on what's actually working in real markets, right now.

• Why eXp's global growth isn't accidental
  
  
• Why the self-employed model is outperforming traditional agency structures
  
  
• What eXp is doing internationally that other models can't replicate
  
  
• The real challenges of expanding an agency business across borders
  
  
• What differentiates high-performing partners from average operators
  
  
• Why freedom works for some agents — and exposes others
  
  
• How technology and AI will reshape estate agency (without replacing great agents)
  
  
• Felix's view on what the next 5–10 years of estate agency will actually look like

• Agents questioning the traditional employed model
  
  
• Self-employed agents looking to future-proof their business
  
  
• High-performers who want scale, leverage, and control
  
  
• Agents sitting on the fence and looking for clarity

If you're serious about building a long-term, resilient agency business — and you want insight from someone who sees the industry at a global level — this episode will challenge how you think about your next move.

In this Zero BS Estate Agency episode, John Savage and Ian Wilkinson break down the truth about launch strategy — the single most important (and most ignored) part of selling a home for maximum value.

Most agents rush the launch. They slap photos online, guess a price, cross their fingers, and hope "the right buyer" turns up.

That's why so many properties sit on the market for months and bleed value.

In this conversation, we dig into:

• Why a powerful launch creates instant demand
• How pricing, marketing, and presentation must work together
• The real consequences of a weak or lazy launch
• Why agents skip the hard work that actually gets results
• The myth of "waiting for the right buyer"
• How momentum, timing, and anticipation drive higher offers
• What elite agents do differently from everyone else
• How sellers can protect themselves in this market

If you want a fast sale, better offers, and complete control of your move, this episode reveals the launch strategy that actually works — and the mistakes that cost sellers thousands every year.

No fluff. No jargon. Just the truth.

Instagram @estateagent.ian
TikTok @estateagent.ian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-wilkinson-a7427019?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

#homesellingtips #propertyadvice #estateagent #propertylaunch #pricingstrategy #homeselling #propertymarketing #housenotselling #realestatetips #zerobseateagency

In this episode, I sit down with Lexi Hensby — a self-employed estate agent who's breaking the mould and delivering 104% of asking price on average. We go deep into why most sellers are getting stitched up before they even hit the market, the psychological damage caused by weak agents, and the brutal truth behind overvaluations.

We cover:

• The single biggest factor that determines a successful home sale

• Why most agents are incentivised to win listings, not results

• The emotional toll of a failed sale — and how to avoid it

• Lexi's capped-client model (15 max) and why it works

• What elite-level service actually looks like

If you're a seller (or an agent), this is a masterclass in how to protect your most valuable asset — and what great agency actually sounds like.

In this episode, John Savage sits down with Paul Leslie of Leslie & Co. to unpack what really drives maximum value in a home sale — and why most sellers are getting it completely wrong.

They talk inflated valuations, weak negotiation, agent accountability, and what separates order-takers from elite performers.

If you're selling a home — or you're an agent who gives a sh*t — this one's unmissable.