10th July 2023
A coffee with… Scott Light, valuer at SDL Property Auctions
After finishing my A Levels, I decided university wasn’t for me and got into the world of work straight away. I started off in the bar industry as a mixologist making cocktails and worked to become a bar manager. I then got the opportunity to go and work in America for five months working at a summer camp teaching water skiing to children! On my return, I came back to my bar job and one of the locals, the owner of an estate agency, said to me: “Why don’t you come and work for me and sell houses instead of cocktails?” I had no reason to decline his job offer and the rest is history. That was eight years ago and here I am now, still in the property industry and now focusing on auctions. Getting into the property industry was the best thing I ever did; no two days are ever the same!
What is your business motto?
The harder you work, the luckier you get. The people you think get lucky are often the ones working the hardest behind the scenes! You decide your own destiny with how much effort and hard work you put into the things you do.
What is the best quality of SDL Property Auctions, and how is it different to other auction businesses?
It’s 100% our personalised service and that we provide quality customer experiences tailored to their individual needs and preferences. This is what gives SDL Property Auctions its great reputation.
What is office life like for you and your team?
The office has such an amazing culture; everybody is so positive and goes out of their way to help. The office that I work in has been designed perfectly and it really doesn’t feel like I have come to work.
What is your approach to making contacts which are useful for the business?
I enjoy being on the phone talking to customers and passing my knowledge and expertise on to provide the best advice possible. I’m always the port of call for my friends/family who have any property related questions!
Who has inspired you most in your business life, and why?
My Grandad has always inspired me to succeed as he was a very hard-working honest man. He was evacuated as a child, then worked hard to become a police officer and eventually police constable in The Midlands. He has a British Empire Medal for race relations for his work in the 60’s and 70’s.
What is your proudest achievement in business?
I am still at the early stages of my career but every single day I am making progress and I am very proud of where I’m currently at.
What drives and motivates you?
I am getting married next year so money motivates me to give me and my future wife a better life and be able to do great things in my spare time. I am hoping to start a family in a couple of years so I would like to be able to provide for them.
If you hadn’t been a valuer, what would you do instead?
My hypothetical dream job would be a zookeeper or a safari park owner. I love animals so to be able to work with them every day would be amazing.
What time of day are you at your best, and why?
I consider myself a morning person. I am up bright and early and go to the gym first thing. I then get my morning coffee, open my laptop and get stuck in. I don’t like putting things off, I’d rather get them done and ticked off.
Do you use Facebook, Twitter or other social media?
I’m on most social media channels, but I don’t post actively on them all. I mainly use Instagram, that showcases my interests. I have started to use LinkedIn a lot more for business needs to broaden my contacts.
If you could have a coffee with anyone, who would it be, and what would be your choice?
It would have to be Brian Clough because I bet, he has some cracking stories to tell that I would love to listen to. I would just keep quiet and listen to everything he has got to say, never mind the coffee.
How do you relax outside of work?
I love to go on lots of nature walks with my fiancée around the local area that we live in. I’m also a keen gardener so have transformed the garden in the house we brought 2019. Travelling is my biggest passion and I’m always keen to get weekends away to different places and countries.