Introducing Jack Meddings, Nested Sutton's Area Partner
Jack has bought and sold hundreds of homes in Sutton . After 11 years of working in the industry, he swapped corporate agency life for Nested. Now, Jack runs the show as Nested’s Area Partner for Sutton — using his wealth of industry knowledge (and signature charm) to delight customers.
We caught up with Jack on life as an Area Partner; from carving out time for his family, to building trust with clients.
How did you get into estate agency?
I got into the industry when I was 18. I was never very good at school, and university wasn’t really an option for me. My family had always said that I was always good at speaking to people, so suggested estate agency as a well-suited career path. I was attracted to the fact that you can set your own income; the harder you work, the more you get out of it. I really enjoyed the pressure and pace of it all.
The high street used to have great career potential. I started as a trainee, and worked my way up to area manager running multiple branches. Things slowly started to change — targets were pushed and goal posts were moved, so eventually I stopped enjoying it as much. It became more about booking in mortgage appointments than organising viewings. I ended up feeling like I was working in a call centre!
The last job I had, I didn’t have any staff — I was running the branch completely by myself for a good 4 months. After my paycheck came in, I didn’t feel like the work I’d put in was reflected in my take-home. So I started exploring other options.
What attracted you to Nested?
When I first stumbled across Nested, I actually didn’t think I’d end up going for it at first. I had two kids, two mortgages, and I couldn’t afford not to have a salary. But here I am!
The more I learned about Nested, the more dated I realised the high street estate agent model is. The tech was probably the biggest thing that pulled me in — it’s really nothing like I’ve ever seen before.
“The tech was probably the biggest thing that pulled me in — it’s really nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”
What were your expectations about self employment, and how are you finding it now?
It’s not what I would’ve imagined to be honest. It involves a lot of problem-solving. I was probably a bit naïve at the beginning — it’s definitely been a lot of hard work to get it up and running. But I’m starting to see the hard work pay off, which is great. It feels great to be a business owner and feel in control of my own schedule. It’s an emotional rollercoaster — but when you get a win, it feels euphoric!
How has your work-life-balance changed since starting your own business?
I have a little boy who’s coming up to 1 years old, and so far this year I’ve been able to witness every stage of his life. Yes, I’ve burned through savings — but that was always the plan. Money is one thing, but being present for my children is invaluable. I have friends who get home in the evening and don’t even get to see their kids — so that for me has been a massive thing.
It’s also really opened my eyes to a different way of working. There’s no longer a need to be in an office from 9am to 7pm, plus travel time. Now, if I know I don’t have any appointments on a Saturday afternoon, I can clock off and relax.
“Money is one thing, but being present for my children is invaluable.”
How does Nested’s tech improve your clients’ experience?
The tech is definitely an instruction-winner. I always emphasise the transparency aspect of it to clients, and it lands really well. Normally, on the high street, we’d have to call the customer up and tell them we need to reduce — and they’d always be confused as to why. Now that customers have full visibility into how everything’s going, customers call me up and suggest that we reduce as we’re not getting as many views. It just gives people the transparency they need to make informed decisions, and that’s what people want.
What advice would you give to an estate agent looking to start their own business with Nested?
Be prepared for hard work. I came into it comfortably thinking I could get 3 instructions a month from day one. You don’t always realise how strong the high street presence is until you don’t have a shop, so brand awareness needs to be the priority from the beginning.
Register a virtual address (doesn’t have to be your home address!) so you come up on the map search for Google. Social media and business referrals are both great ways to get your name out there. Don’t be naïve — it takes a lot of hard work to get it going. But the hard work will pay off!