Why I Sold My House to Start My Own Estate Agency

AD | This season of Golden Nuggets: Movers & Shakers is supported by Rightmove Would you sell your home to back your own business idea? Sarah Oliver did. In this episode of Golden Nuggets: Movers & Shakers, Sarah tells Silvia Eldawi how she went from working across traditional, corporate and hybrid estate agency models to deciding she could build something of her own. The problem was funding it. With equity tied up in her home and no route to remortgage for the purpose of starting the business, Sarah made a major decision: sell the house, move into a one-bedroom flat and put the remaining money into building her agency. But this isn't only a story about taking a risk. Sarah also explains how her previous agency experience shaped the business she wanted to create differently — from giving clients one point of contact from valuation through to negotiation, to using WhatsApp and same-day viewing feedback, and giving her team their own identities within the SOLD BY brand. 🎙️ WHAT WE COVER • Sarah's journey through traditional, corporate and hybrid estate agency • The moment she realised she could build an agency herself • Why she sold her house to fund the business • Building enough personal and business runway before launching • Investing properly in the brand, website and systems • Building an agency around what she wanted to do differently • Why one point of contact and fast communication matter • Giving agents their own identity within the SOLD BY brand 👀 WHO IS THIS FOR? Estate agents, agency owners and property professionals thinking about starting or building their own business — plus anyone weighing up what it really means to back yourself financially, professionally and personally. 💡 GOLDEN NUGGET “I haven't got anything to prove to anyone other than myself.” ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 “What if it doesn't work?” 00:27 Rightmove supports this season 01:00 Why Sarah sold her house to start an agency 01:22 Starting from the bottom in estate agency 02:25 Becoming a branch manager at 23 03:14 Discovering the hybrid model 04:03 “I can do this myself” 04:19 The funding problem 04:57 Selling the house 05:13 Building six months of runway 06:09 Investing properly in the business 06:45 “What if it doesn't work?” 07:34 Building an agency differently 08:42 One person from valuation to negotiation 08:59 Fixing the communication problem 11:20 Giving agents their own identity 13:00 Was selling the house worth it? 13:20 Nothing to prove but to herself 🤝 MORE FROM RIGHTMOVE Unlock more opportunities with Rightmove: https://hub.rightmove.co.uk/maximising-your-opportunity Discover more ways Rightmove are championing agents: https://hub.rightmove.co.uk/share-your-expertise/ 🔗 FOLLOW SILVIA ELDAWI Website: https://propologi.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaeldawi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silviaeldawi/ ▶️ WATCH NEXT Watch the complete Golden Nuggets: Movers & Shakers series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfgAOYYBteUk 💬 VIEWS & OPINIONS The views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Rightmove. This content is provided for general information and discussion purposes only and should not be relied upon as professional, legal, financial or property advice.