Michael Grimsley, National Account Manager
Michael Grimsley works closely with Nova’s Connells Group partners across the UK, helping them grow, solve problems, and get the best possible outcomes for their clients. Whether he’s supporting a branch, collaborating with Nova’s delivery teams or strengthening key relationships, his focus is always the same: creating partnerships that genuinely work for everyone involved.
Having built his career through a wide range of roles, from frontline customer-facing positions to sales, business development and account management, Michael brings a practical, relationship-led approach to partnership management. His experience across conveyancing, recruitment and business development has given him a broad commercial perspective and a strong understanding of what successful partnerships need to thrive.
As National Account Manager, Michael acts as a link between Nova, its partners and internal delivery teams, ensuring everyone is aligned, supported and working towards the same goals.
More Than a Referral Relationship
Michael believes the strongest partnerships go beyond a simple introducer relationship.
For him, success comes when both sides view themselves as part of the same team, working together to solve challenges, support clients and improve outcomes. Rather than operating in silos, he encourages open communication, shared accountability and a commitment to continuous improvement.
His approach focuses on creating partnerships built on trust, honesty and mutual investment in success.
Creating Momentum Together
Throughout his career, Michael has enjoyed helping people and businesses grow.
Whether supporting a partner’s objectives, helping teams collaborate more effectively or identifying opportunities for improvement, he is motivated by seeing progress and development over time.
He believes the most successful partnerships are those where everybody remains engaged in the process, asks questions, shares ideas and actively contributes to achieving better outcomes.
If Everything’s a Priority, Nothing Is
Michael isn’t afraid to challenge conventional thinking.
He believes too many delays in the property industry come down to poor communication, unrealistic expectations and a lack of collaboration between the parties involved. While technology has an important role to play, he believes there is still significant room for improvement in the way businesses work together.
Whether it’s encouraging more realistic escalation processes, stronger communication, or better preparation at the start of a transaction, Michael is passionate about finding practical ways to improve the experience for everyone involved.
Seeing the Person Behind the Transaction
For Michael, every transaction is ultimately about people.
He understands that buying and selling a home is often an emotional experience, and that successful outcomes rely on clear communication and realistic expectations from everyone involved.
By helping partners understand the realities of the conveyancing process and encouraging stronger collaboration, he works to create a smoother experience for both clients and industry professionals alike.
What Partners Can Expect
Partners working with Michael can expect honesty, transparency and a genuine commitment to shared success.
He believes in doing what he says he will do, maintaining open lines of communication and approaching challenges collaboratively. His goal is always to create partnerships that feel like an extension of each other’s business, rather than a traditional client-supplier relationship.
In Michael’s Words
“When we stop thinking about referrals and start thinking about partnerships, everything improves. Communication gets better, transactions move faster, and clients have a better experience.”
Connect with Michael
Questions Michael Often Gets
“The best partnerships don’t feel like a referrer relationship. They feel like two businesses working towards the same goal. Both sides understand how the other operates, communicate openly, and take responsibility for making things work. When that happens, outcomes improve for everyone involved.”
“The strongest partners invest in the relationship. They ask questions, spend time with the people they work with, and want to understand how the process works. The relationships that become purely transactional rarely achieve the same results as those built on genuine collaboration.”
“That every transaction should take the same amount of time. Every case is different. Different buyers, different sellers, different chains, different lenders and different personalities. One difficult transaction doesn’t mean the next one will be difficult too. Managing expectations is one of the most important things we do.”
“Respond faster. I still see automated responses telling people they’ll get a reply in 72 hours. That’s three days lost before anything even happens. Small delays add up quickly and ultimately it’s the client who feels the impact.”
“Actually get to know the people you’re working with. The strongest relationships aren’t transactional. They’re built when both sides make an effort to understand each other and work towards the same goal.”