"It Felt Like Discovering Fire."

Last week, I attended the Iceberg AI Summit.

And I don't say this lightly…

It felt like discovering fire for the first time.

Not another proptech demo.
Not another "better CRM."
Not AI bolted onto old systems.

Something fundamentally different.

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Burgess, CEO of Iceberg Digital — entrepreneur, and one of the few people in this industry who genuinely sees around corners.

Mark has been in estate agency since the mid-90s.
He's built multi-million-pound businesses.
And now he's building what he calls an AI operating system for estate agents.

Not software.

An operating system.

We talk about:

• Why most agencies are just sales departments pretending to be businesses

• Why AI won't replace estate agents — but it will expose weak ones

• What Lifecycle, Neuron and Uzair actually are (and why they matter)

• Why the next three years will define who survives

• The widening gap between agents winning record months… and agents blaming the market

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

In every town right now, there are agents thriving.

And in the same towns, there are agents struggling.

Same interest rates.
Same Rightmove fees.
Same buyers.

Different operating systems.

This isn't about hype.

It's about leverage.

It's about moving from chasing and guessing…
to positioning and knowing.

If you're happy running a traditional, effort-based agency and hoping consistency carries you through — this episode might irritate you.

If you know there has to be a better way — you'll want to pay attention.

If this conversation felt big…

If it made you think differently about how your agency runs…

Then don't stop here.

Watch the full Iceberg AI Summit and see the entire breakdown of what's coming — and what serious agents are already doing differently:

👉 https://iceberg-digital.co.uk/iceberg-ai-summit-2026-estate-agency-ai

The next three years won't reward average operators.

They'll reward the ones who adapt.

Your move.

Most estate agents don't have a marketing problem.

They have a clarity problem.

They're posting regularly.

They're trying different platforms.

They're copying what seems to work for other agents.

And yet… they keep attracting the wrong sellers.

In this episode, I'm joined by Rowan Waller, and we strip estate agency marketing back to first principles — not tactics, not trends, not "post more" advice.

We get into:

• Why "my client is everyone" guarantees average results

• How to define your ideal seller properly (and why this changes everything)

• Why most agents accidentally sabotage their best stories

• How to build authority without bragging

• The 5–5–5 framework that brings structure to your content

• Why likes and views are vanity — and what actually moves the needle

• What to do if you're starting from scratch with no budget and no reputation

This episode isn't about algorithms or hacks.
It's about identity, positioning, and intent.

If you want sellers to recognise you as the right agent before you ever meet them —
this conversation will change how you think about marketing.

Less noise.

More meaning.

Better instructions.

Most sellers think they're choosing an estate agent.

What they're actually buying… is a contract.

In this episode, Paul Childs joins me for a brutally honest conversation about what really goes on behind valuations, long tie-ins, and "active buyer" promises.

We get into:

• Why sellers default to high-street brands — even when it costs them money

• How overpricing isn't optimism, it's risk avoidance by agents

• The uncomfortable truth about long contracts and who they really protect

• Why price drops aren't a strategy — they're a symptom

• How self-employed agents are exposing the cracks in the traditional model

• Why collaboration, not competition, is the future of estate agency

This isn't a recruitment pitch.

It's not anti–high street either.

It's a real conversation between two agents who actually carry the risk, do the work, and live with the consequences.

If you're a seller, this episode will change how you choose an agent.

If you're an agent, it will challenge how — and who — you're really working for.

No fluff.
No scripts.
No contracts dressed up as certainty.

Just the truth about how houses really get sold.

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.