Lunchtime Learning

In this episode of Lunchtime Learning, Stephen Brown talks to Silas J Lees, CEO of Wiggywam and former estate agent turned chartered surveyor turned property reform campaigner.Silas has spent 30 years in the property industry, and the last few years digging into why UK home moves now take 20 plus weeks when they used to take 6 to 8. His research led to a 130 page white paper and a 7 pledge manifesto for reform, built around what he calls the Maverick Movement.They talk through:What actually makes a good estate agentWhy 59% of consumers do not know they are paying referral fees, and the knock on effect this has on conveyancingThe £5.42 billion a year in unclaimed commission estate agents are walking away fromWhy 40% of first time buyers will not even enter the marketThe case for banning referral fees and moving to upfront material informationWhat the Maverick Movement actually asks of agents, conveyancers and lenders who want to joinWhy writing a book might be one of the most underused authority builders in the industryIf you work in estate agency, conveyancing or mortgage advice and you are tired of watching good deals fall over, this one is for you.Guest links: wiggywam.co.uk | [email protected]

Sally Holdway, Sale and Purchase Lead at the Residential Logbook Association and Director of Homeowner's Passport, joins Stephen Brown to unpack digital property logbooks.A former conveyancing solicitor, Sally explains how logbooks work, what data lenders and solicitors will accept, and why the government's reform roadmap is putting logbooks and sale packs at the heart of faster property transactions. She shares real results from pilots showing logbooks can cut transaction time by around a quarter, and talks through why more agents are now setting up branded logbooks for buyers, not just sellers, to keep their brand front and centre for the next move.Get in touch with Sally: [email protected]

This week on Lunchtime Learning I am joined by Bryan Mansell from Gazeal, and we do something a bit different. Instead of a straight interview, Bryan puts me in the seller's chair and walks me through how an agent should present Gazeal's Home Insights Survey and reservation agreement, live, as if I am the one selling my house.We cover why upfront surveys matter, how they protect the price you agree with a buyer, what happens if the survey turns up problems, and how reservation agreements aim to stop gazumping and gazundering for good. If youa re an agent, this is a real world script you can borrow. If you are a homeowner, it's a good look at questions worth asking before you list.Listen if you want to understand where the property transaction is heading, not just where it has been.

My guest this week was Melanie Attwater from EXP Luxury.Here's the stat that sets the whole thing up: 80% of Melanie's clients had already been on the market with another agent and failed to sell. Eighty percent. Usually because the marketing was poor, the agent couldn't negotiate, or there was just no real expertise there.We talked about how to actually win a decent fee instead of joining everyone else at the bottom, how she gets buyers genuinely committed before they have even seen the house, and a load of small things most agents don't bother with, including running dated photos through ChatGPT on a viewing, getting a survey done before going to market so there are no cheeky offers later, and the onward-purchase conversation that's really what's keeping sellers up at night.She also works alongside Roger Black and Steve Backley, which I had to ask about, and there is a good bit on a book called Unreasonable Hospitality that's stuck with her.

What does it take to go from pub chef to three-time Olympian — via Usain Bolt?In this episode of Lunchtime Learnings, Stephen Brown sits down with Greg Cackett, a sprinter-turned-bobsledder who didn't pick up athletics until he was 21, yet went on to represent Great Britain at three Winter Olympics.Greg opens up about imposter syndrome, the power of perspective shifts, and why the team environment of bobsleigh gave him something sprinting never could. He also talks candidly about his post-sport transition into screenwriting and stand-up comedy, and why the same relentless hunger for improvement that drove him on the track is now fuelling his creative ambitions.In this conversation, you'll hear:• How an Icelandic ash cloud changed the course of his life• What racing Usain Bolt taught him about belief and belonging• Why the best athletes are often the most insecure — and why that's a strength• How to find your North Star when you're in the middle of a career transition• What "leaders eat last" really looks like in practice• The danger of gurus — and how to find mentors who truly have your backWhether you're navigating a career change, battling self-doubt, or just looking for a bit of fire in your day — this one's for you.Subscribe, share, and leave us a review