Agent exchanges lost purse for a property sale

A black cab may not be the most expected place for lead generation but a London agent has explained how finding a lost purse ended in a £940,000 sale.

Jason Goldstone, director of St John’s Wood-based Hanover Residential, found a purse in a London black cab in December 2022 which had £60 in cash and some credit cards inside. 

He was worried about handing it in as he thought the driver may pocket the cash so instead found a business card with the name Hil Scott that matched the other items.

Goldstone told Estate Agent Today: “There was no telephone number on the business card, only a website address. 

“I tracked down the website but there was no telephone number, only an email address, so I sent Hil an email asking her to contact me as I found her purse. 

“She contacted me and was shocked and surprised that someone had got in touch with her. She thought she’d never see her beloved purse again.”

When Scott came into the office to collect the purse, Goldstone established she lived in Camden and was trying to sell her property.

He asked if Hanover could help her find a buyer, even though it was slightly outside its core area. 

Scott aid it was on with two local Camden agents already but she was be happy for Goldstone to come on board.

Goldstone added: “In early January, one of the Camden agents found a buyer and the house came off the market. 

“Around eight weeks later, I received a phone call from Hil’s son and I was sure he was going to tell me the house had exchanged but to my surprise he said the sale had fallen through and to relaunch the house back on the market. 

“We relaunched the house and within a week, we found a buyer, and subsequently exchanged on 28 April.”