Alex Goldstein tells us about his new business venture and why trust is the most valuable asset in business.
Alex Goldstein is a local expert independent property consultant well known to JLife readers, specialising in buying and selling residential property across Yorkshire and London. His new business venture, NXD Family Office, is a collaboration with Chris McDonald that’s a bespoke group of expert advisors spanning a wide range of private client, luxury lifestyle, and business services.
Alex has over two decades of business experience and takes most of his inspiration from previous generations: “I think it must be in the family genes! My great grandfather was Louis Cope who established his synonymous women’s high-end fashion department store in Harrogate in the 1920s. My grandfather and father also started their own businesses too and here I am today doing the same!”
“Having gone straight into the world of estate agency after university, I am one of these unusual individuals that has continuously stuck with a business sector for 23 years now. In 2013, I set up my own property consultancy to give clients ‘the inside track’ on how to get the best out of estate agents and the property market – a former estate agent turned good guy you might say!”
At NXD Family Office, Alex ensures that clients’ needs are continued to be met on a personal level. His partner, Chris, uses his expert guidance to help entrepreneurial clients scale up their business: “I had known Chris for many years, and his work had been going into businesses to help them scale up and sell. I pointed out that he had missed a trick and to keep on going, by offering a family office service to help entrepreneurial clients beyond business. And NXD Family Office was born!”
Alex believes that clients are often taken advantage of by trusted advisors: “The problem is, who can you genuinely trust? Everyone says, ‘trust me’, but how do you actually know? I regularly work with entrepreneurs, wealthy families, sports personalities, and those in the public eye. It doesn’t sit well with me that these often vulnerable individuals are unwittingly taken advantage of.
“One of the worst examples I had was a household sports personality who provided me proof of their mortgage arrangement with a big-name private bank. While I am not a financial advisor, I pointed out that what they were being charged didn’t look right to me and that they should have it double checked with someone I trusted. Sure enough, my mortgage advisor rang me straight back and told me to get them out of it, as they were going to be charged nearly double what they should!”
Alex explains what sets the business apart: “NXD Family Office is different as we know every single person in the room, and they have proven themselves over the years that we have dealt with them. They don’t pay us a subscription fee. No bias, no driftwood, and no nonsense. Everyone is of the same mindset wishing to genuinely help our clients, as it’s not about the fee. If you treat people well, the fee will follow and so will personal recommendation. This is exactly how I built up my property consultancy business too.
“We aren’t just for ultra-high net worths, we’re there for those who are on the right trajectory but wish to accelerate in the right direction with a group of trusted specialists.
“There isn’t anyone I have come across in 11 years of operating my own business that does what I do – so don’t tell anyone! The pull of Yorkshire remains strong, and I have recently helped buyers and sellers relocate from the south and indeed internationally.”
Offering advice for any future budding entrepreneurs, Alex says: “Find a sector you love, then build up your experience and knowledge; you will know when the time is right to jump ship. I would always say – what’s the worst that could happen?”
