Q&A with Max Slaght
Author: Grace Willcocks
Tell us a bit about your journey in property. How have you established Domus Nova as one of the capital’s leading luxury estate agencies?
I started my career in corporate agency 20 years ago when I had ambitions to work in London. My first job in the industry was at Foxtons during the ‘John Hunt era’, when it was a ‘trading company’ and the property market was on fire. How I work was shaped by an ethos of absolute transparency with clients, a key cornerstone of our brand values at Domus Nova today.
Domus Nova has three directors and when we established the business, our valued relationship with our clients is at the heart of our brand values, along with our specific product profile – Domus Nova specialises in architectural and design-led properties. Concentrating on this area of the market has been essential to our development. With property expertise in the rental market, particularly in the Notting Hill area, it was natural for me to develop this side of the business.
Since founding that business, the property market has transformed and now more than ever brand identity and strong marketing are key elements of success. We put a real emphasis on the presentation and photography of the properties we work with. We make sure to frame our homes in a way that reflects their distinctive features, not just visually but in how we speak about them too. Our long-standing, local network of homeowners is a testament to the value our marketing adds to their properties. The overall feel created by our brand is more akin to high fashion than something traditionally found in an estate agency.
You recently launched an exciting new concept called Domus Stay, can you tell us a bit more about it?
We offer a curated list of distinctive properties and match them to the needs and requirements of discerning guests looking to stay somewhere exclusive in London. Our specialist team brings together people with property expertise, a rich hospitality pedigree and those who are passionate about personal service to make the short-stay process effortless for everyone.
We work closely with our homeowners across London and beyond to help them make the most of their properties without the stresses of the short term rental experience. Our end-to-end management service takes care of everything, from housekeeping to maintenance and security so that homeowners can rest easy knowing their home is being handled with the greatest care. With our dedicated guest services team on hand to help, our clients too can can trust that everything being taken care of. As the service is not purely transactional but is consultative, we believe it is unparalleled in the current market.
What does a normal working day look like for you?
My day can be quite varied but right now, I’m focusing my efforts on developing Domus Stay. I spend much of the day working with our incredible COO Rachel Angell and expanding our portfolio of properties. Usually, I’m liaising with homeowners looking to let a property for a short stay, visiting them for valuations or investing time in growing at the property partnerships we have with search agents, travel concierge companies and others.
How would you define the Domus brand?
Although I don’t like to use superlatives, we really do offer a truly unique product.
Both Domus Stay and in Domus Nova offer best-in-class properties; incredible design and architecture are a core part of our brand criteria, along with our passion for property and exceptional service. That’s why for more than 15 years, we’ve been trusted with the keys to London’s most remarkable homes.
Domus Nova has grown as a local business through word of mouth. Unlike other short-term rental services, Domus Stay builds on the foundations of Domus Nova’s established client relationships and brings together a team of hospitality and property experts who understand homeowners, the property market and our guests.
What are you most looking forward to for the remainder of 2021?
Like everyone, I am looking forward to the end of lockdown, but more crucially for me, I want to see London open up. As a Londoner who lives near the Portobello Market, I love the buzz of summer in London created by all the tourists. For us at Domus Stay, it will be great to welcome guests from all over the world so that everyone can enjoy all the riches that London has to offer.
2021 will be an exciting year for us and I’m looking forward to seeing the business expand. For most people, travel will look different this year – it’s short lets that they will be booking, not hotels with shared amenities. Our self-contained houses and apartments will offer that authentic local experience but in a safe environment. Homowners too are looking to make use of their spaces and Domus Stay can help them do that.