Case Study: from low-fee local agency to £700k powerhouse
In 2018, Keystone was a small, local agency turning over £120,000 a year from 50–60 sales and a flat £1,500 fee. Fast forward to 2024, they’ve hit £700,000 turnover, charge up to 1.75%, and lead their market. How did they do it?
Back in 2018, Keystone Estate Agents looked like many small, independent estate agencies across the UK. With just three team members, they were completing 50–60 sales per year, charging a fixed fee of £1,500 per case. Turnover was modest at around £120,000 annually and there was a sense that growth had hit a ceiling.
Fast forward to 2024, and Keystone is in a completely different league, with a £700k turnover and rising. But how?
Turnover: from £120k to £700k+ in five years
Today, Keystone has a team of 10, charges a minimum fee of £3,000 or 1.75%, and adds a £150 commitment fee on top. Despite charging the highest fees in the area, they’ve cemented their position as Flintshire’s leading estate agency.
But the biggest shift? Their annual turnover has skyrocketed from £120,000 to a projected £700,000, a 480% increase.
“We’re proud to be on track for a sales turnover of around £700,000 this year, comfortably exceeding our £650k target.” Said Ben Roberts, Director at Keystone.
The turning point: smarter tools, better thinking
This wasn’t a stroke of luck. The transformation began when Keystone adopted Lifesycle by Iceberg Digital. What they needed wasn’t just another CRM, but a complete estate agency software platform — something that would help them:
- Build structured, scalable marketing
- Nurture leads more intelligently
- Automate follow-up and prospecting
- Track client journeys across every touchpoint
“I’ve got a lot to thank Mark and the Iceberg/Lifesycle team for, the strategies, the tools, the vision.”
With AI-powered prospecting, automated marketing, and real-time insight into client behaviour, Keystone began operating with the efficiency and sophistication of a much larger agency but without the overheads.
Execution: strategy is nothing without action
Ben and Jill, the owners, didn’t just buy software. They implemented it with discipline. They took what they learned through Iceberg’s strategic coaching, and used Lifesycle to re-engineer how their agency worked day to day.
“It’s taken a lot of hard graft from Jill and me, and a commitment to implementing what we’ve learned from the training and coaching on the ground.”
From email marketing to social campaigns to sales funnels, every part of their business now works together, pulling in the same direction towards growth.
What’s next: Neuron-powered growth
With their business already transformed, Keystone has recently invested in a Neuron website, giving them a cutting-edge, AI-enhanced digital presence that evolves with each user. This will allow them to:
- Personalise the online experience in real time
- Show relevant content, valuations and properties
- Keep clients engaged — and competitors behind
The goal? Push well beyond £700k and dominate their market even further.
Proof that you don’t need to drop your fee to grow
Keystone’s story is living proof that small estate agents can break free from low-fee limitations. By combining the right tools with the right mindset, and a commitment to implementation, they’ve built a business that earns more, charges more, and leads the local market.
If you're stuck with your turnover and feel like you're working harder for less, ask yourself: What would your life look like at £700,000?
Many small Estate Agencies think that the cost of Lifesycle is out of reach for them but with rising staff costs, at less than the cost of a school leaver, the impact is unrivalled. In fact, over 50% of Lifesycle customers first started with Iceberg when they were small or start-up businesses.
Ben says: “Since moving our business to Lifesycle and working with Iceberg Digital, we’ve grown into the leading sales agent in Flintshire, despite having the highest fees in the area. That alone says a lot.”
Latest news
Connells' Latest Figures: A Wake-Up Call for Traditional Estate Agency Growth
Recent financial results from Connells Group highlight a critical challenge facing traditional estate agencies. It's time to question whether scaling through sheer manpower is truly sustainable or if a new approach is needed to drive profitability and future relevance.
Read more
The Keynote Every Estate Agent Needs to Hear
At the Iceberg AI Summit 2026, Mark Burgess, Best-selling author on AI & CEO of Iceberg Digital, delivered what many believe is the most important talk ever given to estate agents. The traditional estate agency model is breaking and working harder will not fix it. Watch the full talk here.
Read more
Beyond Software: How Real Agents Are Transforming Revenue and Lives with AI
The estate agency world is changing, and success now hinges on profound business transformation, empowering agents to achieve unprecedented growth and personal fulfilment. Discover how an AI Operating System is enabling real agents to systemise the predictable, humanise the exceptional, and redefine their future.
Read more