He’s Hired! Apprentice estate agent star sets up property consultancy

Jamie Lester, the London estate agent who starred in The Apprentice almost a decade ago, has set up a property industry consultancy.

Lester, who was runner-up in the reality show in 2010, set up the estate agency Haus Properties the following year, specialising in west London sales and lettings. 

In 2015 it opened a fourth office and claimed it had sold £184m of property and collected £145m in rent for its landlord clients; however, in 2016 the company appeared to hit trouble. 

By 2017 it started closing branches and Lester left the company unexpectedly, saying: “I had an amazing five years at Haus and not only am I proud of the brand I created, the team and the awards we received, but I seem to have inspired the industry in approaching agency in a slightly different angle.“

Then he became group marketing director for a London based developer called Aitch Group and now his new consultancy continues with new developments. 

In its launch statement the Jamie Lester Consultancy says it “provides comprehensive strategy advice including sales, marketing, branding, placemaking, social media and PR for new homes” with clients selecting which elements they require. 

“I’m truly passionate about every area of this industry and understand the challenges that we all face. Having worked on both sides of the sales fence – as an estate agent and on behalf of property developers – I wanted to launch my own consultancy to utilise every part of my professional knowledge.  

“I know what to do, but more importantly, what not to do, and I would love to share my experience to help developers not only stand out from the competition, but most importantly, sell their properties at a profitable rate.”

He concludes: “It’s crucial to establish the right sales and marketing strategy in order to sell developments efficiently and effectively, particularly in a challenging market. I want to help developers achieve the best results, enhancing value and creating a place where people want to live.”