Kent

If an estate agent’s aim is to get the best possible price for the seller, a buying agent actively wants you to get the best price and quality for what could be your next home.



So if you&#8217;ve started a house search, you might be interested in discovering exactly what a buying agent, like local property expert Fiona Penny, (who founded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fionapenny.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders</a>&nbsp;18 years ago), crams into a day.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="1600" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search.jpeg" alt="Fiona Penny of Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders Buying Agent Kent and East Sussex home search" class="wp-image-124649" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search.jpeg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search-750x1000.jpeg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-home-search-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



8.30&nbsp;am – My day starts by driving my youngest son, Isaac, to school in Bodiam and then back to my office at home to make a start to my day.



9.00 am – My day is often spent out of the office so, whilst drinking&nbsp;my first and very important cup of English Breakfast tea, I will try to make any urgent or time sensitive calls to clients or estate agents, either catching up with a transaction or putting in motion anything my brilliant team can then follow up on during the day.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="1600" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog.jpeg" alt="Fiona Penny of Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders Buying Agent Kent and East Sussex with dog" class="wp-image-124648" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog.jpeg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog-600x800.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog-750x1000.jpeg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog-300x400.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-with-dog-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



10.50am &#8211; A last check that I have dog treats in my pocket. I always ask permission of the owners but I get through a lot every week!&nbsp;And wellies, an umbrella and suncream in the boot of my car. All eventualities covered&#8230; and I am off.



11.00 am – Today I am meeting with some potential new clients at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. I always like to meet with clients face to face if possible as it is such an important relationship/ partnership and we definitely &#8217;embark on their journey together&#8217;. It&#8217;s a young family who live in Kent already but are struggling to find their dream home and have become disillusioned with their search.&nbsp;



We discuss their Wish List alongside their position, their budget and important timelines etc. I also help them understand the way Buying Agents and more specifically, how I work and how I can make a meaningful difference to their property search. From this meeting, if they decide they would like my help, I will draft Terms of Business.



One of the best things about my job is meeting such an amazing array of people – whether they are clients, home owners or agents. Every one of my clients is unique, with their own story and reasons for moving and it is a privilege to help every single one of them.&nbsp;The icing on the cake is that I get to see such wonderful houses.



12.30pm – More often than not, lunchtime is spent in my car with a little &#8216;dashboard picnic&#8217; – in a location between appointments – and where I can pick up a good signal! Whilst my team follow up calls, make appointments and speak to agents etc. There are always calls I need to make.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="1625" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search.jpg" alt="Fiona Penny of Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders Buying Agent Kent and East Sussex property search" class="wp-image-124651" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search.jpg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search-591x800.jpg 591w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search-738x1000.jpg 738w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search-295x400.jpg 295w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search-768x1040.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-property-search-1134x1536.jpg 1134w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



1.30 pm – Today I am previewing a house in Tunbridge Wells for clients who are moving down to Kent from London.&nbsp;Where time and the market allows, previews are essential for me to judge the potential of that property, saving them valuable time and money. This helps ensure there are no wasted journeys.



When I view a property I leave no stone unturned. It&#8217;s a great part of the job. I love looking to see what is behind a hedge or a gate or especially a garage door – perhaps a classic car to compare to &#8216;Parker&#8217; &#8211; my very own, much loved, 1968 Triumph Herald convertible!



This was a positive viewing but cannot beat the most extraordinary viewing I have had to date, which was when I turned up to view a house that was being used as a film shoot for a WWI film. On the First Floor landing I was greeted by an actor, dressed as a German soldier, coming out of the bathroom&#8230; with no trousers on!&nbsp;



2.00 pm – I have a catch up call with the clients to give them feedback on the house.&nbsp;They agreed it sounded like it was worth viewing themselves, so I contact my team to&nbsp;arrange a second viewing with my clients. In an ideal world I will always try to have two or three viewings lined up to make for a more efficient trip down&nbsp;&nbsp;for them. Often viewings will comprise of houses that haven&#8217;t even made the market yet &#8211; as my ear is always to the ground with local contacts and estate agents.



2.45 pm – Whilst I am in Tunbridge Wells I take the opportunity to visit one of the excellent prep schools we are lucky enough to have in this area.&nbsp;Helping my clients choose the best school for their children is an important part of what I do and is such a crucial factor when it comes to finding them the perfect home. As such it is important I visit all the schools regularly so I can be fully informed of updates and the latest news.



4.00 pm &#8211; Another pitstop to check in with the team and check voicemails, WhatsApp messages and emails.&nbsp;My car definitely acts as my &#8216;office-on-wheels&#8217; – I have been working remotely for years, definitely before it became a thing!



4.30 pm – I had to drive over to solicitors in Tunbridge Wells to collect contracts, taking those contracts to the vendors so that they could sign them and then taking them back to the solicitors (who stayed late in their office) to expedite an exchange.&nbsp;I truly went &#8216;the extra mile&#8217;&#8230; as it turns out, it was 140 miles round trip!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="1534" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden.jpg" alt="Fiona Penny of Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders Buying Agent Kent and East Sussex in the garden" class="wp-image-124650" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden.jpg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden-626x800.jpg 626w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden-782x1000.jpg 782w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden-313x400.jpg 313w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Fiona-Penny-of-Fiona-Penny-Bespoke-Home-Finders-Buying-Agent-Kent-and-East-Sussex-in-the-garden-768x982.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



6.15 pm – Arrived home and found time for a little gardening – to stretch my legs, breath in some fresh air and clear my mind before heading to dinner with my family. It’s important to try and find some downtime but I will generally keep an eye on any urgent&nbsp;emails, messages, property alerts or calls. Many of my clients are too busy working during the day so need updates &#8216;after hours&#8217;. It is most definitely not a 9-to-5 job. But I love the fact that no two days are the same.&nbsp;



One of the best bits of my job is that even after 18 years exploring the magic that is Kent and East Sussex, I can still discover tucked away areas, roads or even fabulous houses that I didn’t know existed. And that is all part of the personal Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders experience.



<a href="https://www.fionapenny.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders</a>



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A day in the life of… Fiona Penny of Fiona Penny Bespoke Home Finders

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