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"You Just Have to Swim for Your Life": How David Jones Rebuilt His Estate Agency Career From Scratch at 56
At 56, with a 35-year career behind him and his business in ruins, David Jones had a choice. Give up, or start again. Here's what happened next with the Partner Agent model.
The Property Experts26 June 2026 7 min read
A 35-Year Career That Hit a Wall
David Jones was an old-school traditionalist. For the first 25 years of his career as a high street estate agent, the formula worked. Then, around 2017, the industry changed rapidly. High street footfall dropped, local newspaper advertising stopped delivering, and competitors squeezed fees. After 14 years of running his own agency, David's business went bust.
The Property Experts stood out very clearly to me as being by far the best of the bunch. I loved that TPE put the local agent right front and centre, letting me promote my own name with the safety net of a major organisation.
The First 90 Days: Honest and Uncomfortable
David does not sugarcoat his early experience. At 56, he was not particularly tech-savvy. He had not used social media, was not active on WhatsApp and had never created video content. What pulled him through was the quality of the support available — he could call the team to ask the same question four times, and someone was always there to help. Within four months, filming videos and posting on social media had become second nature.
A Complete Shift in Mindset, From Volume to Quality
With no staff to manage and no overheads to carry, David focused entirely on his clients and his marketing. He set himself a target of three to four sales per month, delivered 300 postcards by hand every single week, and committed to building his name on social media. Quality over quantity. One area. Complete focus.
In his first week, he handed his accountant a strict three-year business plan. Year 1: finished just £1,000 under target. Year 2: hit his goal exactly, doubling Year 1 turnover. Year 3: finished £1,000 away from his tripled target. Now moving into Year 4, David is rolling out the Prestige Property Experts brand, aiming to quadruple his Year 1 numbers.
What David Would Say to Any Agent Who Is Hesitating
You sink or you swim in life. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and swim for your life. Make yourself impossible not to notice. The support and platform are there. I have absolutely zero regrets.
Could the Partner Agent Model Work for You?
Across The Property Experts network, experienced agents at different stages of their careers are building profitable, personally branded businesses with the support, systems and coaching to make it work from day one. The first step is simply finding out whether the opportunity is right for you and whether your area is still available.