Matt Baldock
Director & Co Owner
What is your career background?
I've been an Estate Agent since i left university with a (not very good) law degree in the early 2000's, working my way up through the corporate world before becoming a business owner in March 2012. We built and sold a lettings book for a 6 figure sum in 2014 before returning to our hometown and starting again where we have built up a sizable lettings book both organically and via a number of acquisitions.
Why did you come up with the idea to launch Charles David Casson & The Baldock Brothers?
Two industry colleagues of mine had set up Charles David Casson about 6 months earlier and asked me to join. Neil then came on board and in 2014 we bought them out leaving Neil and I as equal joint owners.
What's your proudest achievement?
My proudest moments generally come from seeing my team hit personal achievements or push through pain points to achieve personal growth and knowing that i have had a helping hand in it. A close second is being invited to be a speaker by The Law Society, for a failed lawyer, this was quite an achievement!
What are the top 3 challenges you believe your business solves for agents?
Lack of clarity - A lot of business owners are so stuck in the business that they just run from task to task, doing jobs that they don't know if make them money or that that even enjoy. We can help them understand what jobs they should be doing, both for the financial good of the business and their own quality of life
Managing cashflow/ keeping on top of costs - Most agency owners are brilliant estate agents but have had no training on the financial side of the business. We have been there and so can help others that struggle with it now.
Recruitment/Team - Building a team is hard, there isn't a 'one size fits all' approach as different generations have different needs and priorities. It's not uncommon in business to keep bad personalities because they hit numbers and lose good people because you have them in the wrong position/you don't understand them. We have employed people from every working generation so you can show what did and didn't work for us
Which industry suppliers do you admire most?
Chris Watkins
Matt & Chris of PVS
Sam Hunter
Which estate agencies do you admire most?
Location Location
JDG
BASE
What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with estate agents so far?
Most business owners have the same top line issues but they are very personal to them so generic answers don't work, you need to listen to their individual needs and issues. We are all in the same storm but in different boats so to speak.
Click here to find out how The Baldock Brothers can help your agency.
