Nathalie Hirst

Spear’s Review

‘Sometimes it’s a slow game,’ Nathalie Hirst tells Spear’s. The buying agent founded her company Nathalie Hirst in 2010 after eight years as the head of London buying at Savills’ property buying arm, Prime Purchase.

The key to her success? ‘You have to set realistic time frames,’ she explains, and a property search can sometimes take years. ‘However, buying something on the first day I’m with a client has happened – I think twice in 25 years.’ 

Hirst’s role extends beyond simply finding properties. ‘I always say that even a blind pig could find a truffle,’ she says. ‘What I do is very much about giving serious advice on a serious subject. It’s usually the most amount of money they spend out of their own wealth.’