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James is the founder of HomeFinder AI, a dedicated online website to help find your dream home powered by artificial intelligence. A true entrepreneur, he talks to Lynda Clark about his first home, how he started his business and gives some excellent advice for first time buyers At home with: James Nightingall
FTB : Tell us about your first step on the property ladder? JN: I bought my first home about nine years ago through Shared Ownership. I wanted to buy in an area that I knew was “on the up” and would be a good investment. My two bedroom apartment is in Nine Elms right next door to Battersea Power Station. When I first moved in it was like no-man’s-land as there was no tube, one supermarket and a restaurant, and all my friends and family thought I was completely mad to even consider it. But I made a calculated risk and I was right, as now with the Northern Line extension and a £15bn pound investment into the area it’s pretty amazing. I lived in Wandsworth and kept an eye on the market and eventually found this development from Berkeley Homes. I bought Shared Ownership through Optivo the housing association and I absolutely love it! I live on the sixth floor so I have amazing views and can see the Thames from my winter garden, which is like a sauna in the summer as it gets so much sun. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural light and it only takes me five minutes to walk to the tube. There are still opportunities to find a home in areas which are being regenerated but you just have to keep an open mind. Most first time buyers will stay in their home for at least five years and so they have to do their research and find the right area where prices are affordable and watch it grow and flourish as it will be a great investment.
“ALWAYS WORK OUT HOW MUCH YOU CAN AFFORD AND DON’T GO SHOPPING WITHOUT TALKING TO AN INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE ADVISER – NOT JUST YOUR BANK”
FTB : Tell us how you started HomeFinder AI?
JN: I started it during Covid. I was working for a company that found luxury homes for the rich and famous and worked with footballers and celebrities and I met some very interesting people. I really enjoyed it but I knew I wanted to do something similar for everyone, not just people who had a lot of money. I had heard about the Geovation Accelerator Programme. Geovation is an Ordnance Survey initiative and together with HM Land Registry they give an equity-free grant of £20,000 to around 12 start-ups each year. It was a very tough process to go through and I had to undergo four interviews but I was delighted when they gave me the grant. So, I quit my other
50 who are not going to proceed. I have relationships with the top developers and access to homes which are not on their websites. I get weekly price lists and exclusive listings so I can match buyers to possible homes they can afford. We have recently started selling homes too. This is because many sellers don’t want to use the traditional estate agents on the high street and we can give them a far more personal service which works.
role and started HomeFinder AI. It was very hard to start with as I had to build relations with all the different markets. A lot of developers don’t advertise everything on Rightmove or Zoopla as they don’t want the overexposure of all listings that are selling. So, first time buyers who always look at these websites may not get to see the homes they are looking for pop into their in-boxes. Also, many estate agents would rather go on a viewing with one good buyer than
12 First Time Buyer June/July 2026
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