Episode #38
Under the floorboard - EP38 - What makes someone walk away from a 22-year career and start again?
In this episode of Under The Floorboard , Steven McKaveney and Sean Spalding sit down with estate agent Gordon Lee to talk about leaving the motor trade after more than two decades and taking the leap into self-employment and property. Gordon spent 22 years working across the motor industry, from service departments and sales through to management, including time with brands such as Audi and Lotus. But becoming a dad changed his priorities. Long hours, weekends and the demands of the motor trade made Gordon start questioning what he actually wanted from his career — and, more importantly, how much time he wanted to spend with his family. An Instagram advert eventually introduced him to a completely different opportunity: becoming a self-employed estate agent. Property might have been a new industry, but Gordon quickly realised that the skills he'd spent more than 20 years developing — customer service, sales, negotiation and dealing with people — transferred perfectly. We get into what makes Gordon's approach to estate agency different. Rather than sellers being passed between valuers, negotiators, viewing staff and office teams, Gordon looks after the entire journey himself — from the first valuation right through to handing over the keys. That leads us into one of the biggest debates in estate agency... Is the highest valuation always the best valuation? Gordon talks openly about agents overvaluing properties simply to win instructions, why he refuses to play that game, and why an honest, research-backed valuation can ultimately achieve a better result for the seller. We also get into negotiation, property investors and off-market opportunities — and why strong relationships between estate agents and investors should always work both ways. And Gordon shares one of the simplest, but potentially most powerful, negotiation techniques: Sometimes the best thing you can say is absolutely nothing. In This Episode: Gordon's 22-year career in the motor trade Why becoming a dad changed his priorities Walking away from an established career and starting again How an Instagram advert led him into estate agency Why Gordon chose the self-employed agent model Looking after a seller from valuation right through to key handover Managing property sales for clients who aren't even in the country Why some estate agents overvalue properties to win instructions Why Gordon believes in honest, evidence-backed valuations Why silence can be one of your strongest negotiation tools Building relationships between estate agents and property investors ️ Creating referrals and off-market opportunities Gordon's plans for building his business and creating something for his son This episode is about property and estate agency, but underneath all of that, it's really a conversation about knowing when it's time for a change . After 22 years in one industry, starting again isn't the easy option. But sometimes success isn't just about earning more. It's about having control of your time, enjoying what you do and building something that works around the life you actually want. We finish with some big rapid-fire questions too... Best investment? Biggest regret? Worst advice he's ever received? What has the motor trade taught him about property? And where does Gordon want to take the business next? ️ This is Under The Floorboard with Gordon Lee. Join the conversation Subscribe for more honest conversations around property, business, money and mindset. Would you walk away from a 22-year career to start again? Let us know in the comments. Follow Under The Floorboard for clips, behind-the-scenes content and upcoming guests. #UnderTheFloorboard #GordonLee #EstateAgent #EstateAgency #PropertyPodcast #ScottishProperty #Property #PropertyBusiness #SelfEmployed #Business #Entrepreneurship
