Getting to know Jesal Patel, Nested Wembley's Area Partner

A chance encounter in a shopping centre in Edgware introduced Jesal to estate agency and he’s never looked back since! Jesal was born and bred in Wembley but is now well-seasoned across almost every North and West London market from Muswell Hill to Willesden Green and West Hampstead to Ruislip.

With a decade of experience, Jesal made the decision to start his own business in July 2020 before moving to the Nested platform two years later. 

We caught up with Jesal to learn more about his experience.

How did you get into estate agency?

By accident! After a funny set of events I ended up interviewing on a Friday, being offered the job on the same day and then I turned up suited and booted ready to start on the Monday morning. This was my first ever sales role and after selling a property in my first week, I was hooked. I loved how if I wanted to earn, it was all down to me. If I wanted nice things, I knew I had to pick up the phone, call and sell in order to earn them!

What made you want to start your own business as a self-employed agent?

I was working at a local independent and really happy but I told myself that whatever I did next, I’d be doing it for myself. I got married in 2019 and then seriously started toying with the idea of setting up on my own or partnering with a platform to support me.

During Covid and lockdown I realised that my phone kept ringing with friends, family, ex-clients asking me for advice, I had 7 or 8 instructions sat in my pocket! If I was to list these with my employer, I’d be losing out on £50/60k… Nobody cared about where I was working, they were calling me for me.

How have things changed for you since going self-employed?

I launched with a different platform before Nested and personally I had to make a lot of sacrifices during the first few months as I knew my income wasn’t going to be regular. I didn’t suffer too much but I definitely made changes to give myself the best possible chance of succeeding. My aim was basically to have my phone bill as my only expense!

Everything was on me so I had be more self-motivated every day, I couldn’t rely on anybody else. Had to get better at structuring my day and making sure I was being efficient with my time and focusing on the things that matter.

I could finally balance my life around my work and dictate my hours like taking a few hours off in the morning and then working late instead. I could actually be available when my clients were, in the evenings and weekends, so much more accessible and efficient than I had been before.

What attracted you to Nested?

Firstly, I loved the brand and that it was well-known across London in a way my previous platform wasn’t. I knew this would help me win business and it meant I got so much more support when it came to lead generation as well. Because we all share the Nested brand it means that if one person is successful, everyone else is too. Boards breed boards and I know if I help an agent next door to me, my business benefits as well. 

The tech has allowed me to offer something that I really enjoy selling and something my customers get so much out of as well. 

Everything Nested has offered has helped me. Whether it’s marketing, sales progression, the other agents on the platform it does feel like one massive team. Everyone works for themselves and their own pockets but it genuinely feels like people care about my success. It’s so much easier for me to generate business now, there are so many ideas flowing around Nested than anywhere I’ve worked previously. 

I’ve kept my independence and my personal brand but now I’m not completely on my own. 

How has Nested’s tech changed the way you work?

The tech we have for our clients is amazing but the tech for agents is the best I’ve ever had. Everything is so slick, easy and saves me so much time. Tasks that used to take me 5 minutes like handling enquiries or booking viewings take me less than 30 seconds. I get more time to spend on the things that matter instead of battling with my system.

Being able to message other agents or the central team over Slack means everyone is always available whenever I need a hand. 

What advice would you give to an estate agent looking to start their own business?

All self-employed models are different so my honest advice is to look around and learn about each of the options out there. All models may sound the same or similar but they all offer different splits, have different support systems and different people behind the scenes.

Don’t focus on the commission splits, if a model’s only taking 1% from you, you’re only going to get 1% back from them. I chased the higher splits when I started out and quickly realised I wasn’t getting enough back or getting the support I needed.

Overall though, it was the people, the team behind Nested and the support on offer has made a huge difference for me. I’m excited to work, I always know what I need to be doing.