It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Ian Floyed, a titan of the property industry who founded MyHomeMove – which evolved into Simplify and is now the largest conveyancing firm in the UK – amongst other achievements.
As well as being a successful businessman, Ian – born in London, 1953 – was very loyal to the people in his world and took his responsibilities seriously. A common theme amongst those who knew him is that he would drop everything if someone needed help.
He loved driving, travelling, eating good food, and drinking good wine. He was an incredibly generous man, loving to laugh and share social times and his discoveries with others. He lived life to the full.
Ian spent many happy childhood holidays with his three sisters at his mother’s family home in Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland. He started his working life as a delivery driver for Graham Hill at Speedwell, quickly working his way up to running the Buying Department. Whilst there, he claimed he taught Damon Hill to drive a car.
From that experience was born a lifelong love of motor racing – mostly as a spectator. Holidays were inevitably organized around the racing circuits – from Silverstone to the Melbourne Grand Prix. He was a founding member of a Prokart Team in the British Prokart Endurance Championship. They competed in three Le Mans 24 Hour Kart races.
In his early 30s, after a good night out he discovered he had unwittingly become the owner of Sidney, a large grey horse. Always one to make the most of a situation, for a period of time Sidney proved a perfect mode of transport to visit local hostelries, until Ian arranged for him to live out his retirement at a friend’s farm in Devon.
With these memories in mind, below are the thoughts of some of those who knew Ian best having worked closely with him throughout his stellar career.
Steve Naylor, co-founder of various businesses with Ian, including MyHomeMove
I consider myself absolutely privileged and incredibly fortunate to have had the unique and inspiring Ian Floyed as a friend, mentor, and business partner for over 20 years.
He was a master at taking conceptual ideas and converting them into reality. He had the ability to inspire those within his business and outside to believe in what often appeared impossible. Our endeavours often appeared to be heading for disaster only for Ian to find and deliver a unique solution of which only he was capable.
Ian attracted people of all types due to his ability to combine friendship and camaraderie with business. He was someone you could trust completely to have your back. He gave his time freely and helped so many without real thought of personal reward.
His energy was legendary: despite seeming to live during the day only on strong coffee and copious biscuits (even though he denied a sweet tooth!), he could keep going long after everyone else had given up.
He was always calm and reasonable. No matter the storms raging around, he seemed almost impervious to stress. One of the few times I did see him visibly perturbed was when our office In Blackburn was broken into and the thieves stole his stash of biscuits! Fortunately, when I told the story many people rushed to replace his stock.
Ian could talk for hours on any subject and was fantastic company of any trip. He was always curious about everything life had to offer with a continual thirst for new experiences right up to the end. It is such a shame for everyone who knew him that his end came much sooner than it should have done and we will all miss him terribly.
Mark Montgomery, who supported the initial investment into MyHomeMove and is current Chief Strategy Officer at Simplify
I first met Ian Floyed in July 2000 while he was trying to raise funding to start a revolutionary new conveyancing business. It was clear from the outset that he had identified a really substantial problem to try and solve.
From that day (to this), I believed in his vision that innovation, technology, and a customer focused approach to helping clients move home had huge potential to meet a real market need and create a highly successful business. I worked with Ian over the course of the following year to help refine the plan and persuade my then employers, National Power, to provide the investment needed to make the idea a reality. The first few years carried huge challenges and Ian’s unwavering conviction in the central idea of MyHomeMove, coupled with a calm, laser-like focus on the changes needed to bring success was truly inspirational.
Stephen Hayter, who worked alongside Ian at MyHomeMove for many years
Fuelled by espresso
I have described Ian Floyed as a force of nature. He was without doubt the driving force behind MyHomeMove. Despite, or because of, driving over 60,000 miles a year, he made time for everyone and made countless relationships along the way.
He was the ultimate entrepreneur, having both a helicopter view but with an eye for detail, particularly for the numbers. Yet he didn’t interfere needlessly, allowing those who worked with him – not for him – develop their own ideas and processes, only becoming involved if he intuitively felt it was wrong.
He had no office, no PA, no designated car parking space, and no time for needless policies. You need only look at the flourishing careers of those that have worked with him to understand that his recruitment policy was as good as anything you will ever come across.
I know that towards the end he was frustrated at not having pushed the boundaries of conveyancing even further than he did, but by that time he had already created and sold a successful pensions business. I have a good idea what he might have done had he had his time again, and you can be sure it would have been successful.
Karen Babington, who worked with Ian at MyHomeMove before going onto found multiple successful businesses within property
Ian was a pioneer within the conveyancing industry with a rare talent for introducing change without conflict. A true gentleman with practical and emotional intelligence, Ian generously supported so many of us personally and professionally, shaping our future careers for the better. Thank you Mr Floyed.
Martin Collins, IT Director at MyHomeMove between 2001 and 2014
In the early 1990s I was developing Windows software for estate agents. Ian – who I met in 1985 at the Property Computer Show in London – resigned from Computer Applications Ltd and we joined forces in a new company, CAL Property Ltd.
CAL software became widely used by estate agents in London and the South East. In the late 1990s we were acquired by Wealth Management Systems and Ian, ever the entrepreneur, left to look for new opportunities.
Working with a colleague, Steve Naylor, they decided to take conveyancing into the 21st century and MyHomeMove was born in 2001. Under Ian’s leadership, innovations included online applications for quotation, case management, and documentation. In the 2000s, many companies were offshoring contact centres, and MHM were one of the first to offshore legal process.
Ian was a great colleague and friend. One memory which I have is that when we were moving into a larger building for MHM, Ian said that he did not want an office. When he was in he would find a spare desk so that he could work and get to know more people in the company. Not what you would expect from the CEO.
Mike Ockenden, part of the early team at MyHomeMove and current Head of Secretariat at the Society of Licensed Conveyancers
Ian Floyed epitomised the word entrepreneur and approached new ideas with an enthusiasm and can-do attitude that was infectious. He was great at pulling people together to deliver projects, and took a collegiate approach that engendered a great team spirit.
It was because of this that the ideas that he had invariably turned into successful businesses, perhaps none more so than MyHomeMove. A pioneer in delivering the centralised conveyancing model, he was greatly admired and respected in the industry.
Things never seemed to phase Ian and he never appeared flustered, regardless of the circumstances. I cannot remember him ever losing his temper in the 30 years that I knew him. I don’t recall anyone ever speaking badly or negatively of Ian.
Always great company, Ian had a good sense of humour, and it was always a pleasure to spend time with him over a drink. I feel privileged to have known him and to have been his friend.
Graham Lock, co-founder of House Network and Founder of the Federation of Independent Agents
Whenever I hear Ian’s name, my immediate thoughts are simply: “what a lovely guy”.
I first met Ian when I was in the midst of growing a fledgling business. I was young and had much to learn. We met at MyHomeMove and from the first time we spoke, he made me feel at ease. He listened to what I had to say and gave me confidence in myself. I never forgot the way he made me feel: there aren’t many people that have the character and eccentricity that Ian had.
He was one of those special people that you felt drawn to. His natural charm was evident and his enthusiasm was infectious.
Ian’s talent was clear: he was a natural winner. A guy that you could trust. If it were not for compliance insisting on paperwork then Ian’s handshake would always be enough for me.
I’ve been in business for 30 years and met many people along the way, I can say without doubt that Ian Floyed was a special one, not “one from the bottle”. I will only ever have fond memories and to this day Ian continues to be an inspiration to me. RIP my friend.
Rob Sendall, founder of The Live Organisation and Lifetime Legal
People talk about “a players’ player”. Ian was an “entrepreneurs’ entrepreneur” with a seemingly unlimited well of ideas. His ability to conceive of and then fund idea after idea was remarkable and he leaves in his wake businesses that have changed the property, legal, and financial landscapes.
Our paths crossed time and again in conveyancing, panel management, estate planning, probate, financial advice, and more. He was generous with his time and ideas – sharing his thoughts when others would guard them closely.
Our businesses competed day to day and then he would call and invite me out for lunch to share ideas and opportunities.
When I sold The Live Organisation, I had the opportunity of working with Ian at MyHomeMove for a few months. I enjoyed my time working with Ian and his team. His advice was invaluable.
When I established another competing legal services business, he was the first to wish me luck – a true gentleman. He’ll be greatly missed by me and many others.
Even at the end, his thoughts were of others – his final message was one of thanks. His last advice:
“To wish you a long, happy, and healthy life – don’t waste a day!”
Adam Day, International eXpansion Leader, eXp UK
I’ve always been a huge fan of innovation, and Ian was certainly an innovator with the MyHomeMove conveyancing model. I got to know Ian pretty well over that time, and got to know him even more after his exit from MyHomeMove.
I remember being “between projects” back in 2019, not really knowing what to do with myself, and Ian offered to meet me for a coffee to have a bit of a brainstorm of some of my ideas of how to improve the estate agency industry, whilst also offering his own ideas. He wasn’t paid to do that, and he didn’t need to, but he did so simply because he always wanted to give his time, advice, and to help people – he was always available if ever I needed a bit of business advice.
Ian was an innovator, and way ahead of his time in trying to make the conveyancing journey more digital, but more importantly, he was a great human being.
Rob Gurney, Managing Director, Ochresoft, and Ian’s second employee at The Move Factory in 2000
If someone asks what made Ian so special, it’s really hard to articulate because there are no words that do the answer any justice. You had to know him – and then you just knew. But I’ll give it a try anyway. He was such an inspirational, charismatic, sharp, witty, intelligent, generous, unique, kind, and genuine man that always finished an interaction leaving you feeling better than before. I learnt so much from him in terms of how to conduct myself, both personally and professionally, and he really played a hugely significant role in my career development.
Back in 2005, I had briefly left MHM for another role that didn’t quite work out, and within nine months I had returned. I’ll always remember that first day back in the office. Many people had already welcomed me back before Ian strolled coolly through the doors, walked up to my desk and muttered two words before turning around and continuing on with his busy day. And those two words are singularly responsible for me committing the next 15 years of my life to the business he had created. To giving 100% commitment to developing and protecting the organisation through its incredible growth. To sticking with it through many, many tough times. What were those two words? Well, everyone else said “welcome back” to me. Ian said “welcome home”. And at that very moment, he made me feel more valued and with a greater sense of belonging that I have never been close to matching since.
Ian will always be a total legend of a man to me, and I’ll never forget him and the faith he had in me. And I know that there are plenty of others whose lives were equally positively influenced by knowing him. Total legend. RIP.
Simon Whale, Founder, Kerfuffle
It’s with tremendous sadness that I learnt about Ian’s passing. He was my first boss in this industry and its no exaggeration to say I should have been sacked every day for a good while. But he stuck with me, mentored me with considerable patience and showed me the power of relationships in sales, which I to this day believe he was the very best in the business at.
Whatever success I’ve had is in no small part down to Ian and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I’ll remember him fondly and best wishes to his family, he was truly one of the few that made a real difference.
Ian Floyed
Born: January 1953
Died: June 2023
Please feel free to leave your own tributes and memories of Ian in the comments below.
Donations in Ian’s memory can be made to Cancer Research UK via this website: https://ianfloyed.muchloved.com/
11 responses
What fantastic and heartwarming comments. I only met Ian once, at Cheltenham races, back in the days of HIPs. I sat next to him for a few hours. Great fun, great company, obviously a great guy. RIP Ian. My thoughts are with his family and his friends.
Ian was a wonderful and inspiring individual. He was always generous with his time, kind and supportive. Throughout the last 15 years Ian has regularly given me advice and support, and always been incredibly positive and encouraging even when things have been really rough. On the 31st May he had a relatively long call with me supporting and encouraging me, without ever mentioning the challenges he was facing and without me knowing he was ill. Looking back at those messages I can only aspire to have his warmth, presence and grace. His influence on my life and career has been hugely positive. Ian you will be sadly missed.
I worked for Ian for a brief period at MyHomeMove and in only a short period, found him to be a great and charismatic leader. While things didn’t quite work out as planned, I did stay in touch and occasionally Ian and I would speak.
He always encouraged me to do my own thing and there were times when I imagined that he would be involved in some future venture with me…alas that was not to be.
Shocked and saddened to hear that he’s gone.
Ian was an inspiration to so many in our industry. He pioneered and never appeared fazed or daunted by the extent of his endeavours – which were truly gargantuan with My Home Move and the incredible work he and his colleagues undertook in revolutionising conveyancing at a time when IT was not particularly fashionable or popular in our profession.
Ian always had time for a chat and was so open in showing others the great work he was undertaking to try and take our industry forward. I shall always be grateful to him for his time and friendship and in allowing others in the industry to learn and prosper from his pioneering work.
RIP Ian – you made a big difference in our world. Thank you.
The term legend is used too loosely but Ian was a true example. Inspirational till the end and so much energy and spirit. An honour to have known and worked with you Ian!
I remember several meetings and lunches with Ian. He had a way of making you feel important. He valued your opinion and gave advice but only if you asked him to, such a great leadership quality. RIP to a great man.
I am very sorry to hear this sad news about Ian, what a wonderful tribute this is to him.
Ian was a fantastic man who was so ahead of his time, I was lucky enough to work as an employee for MHM in the beginning and what exciting times they were. He always asked staff their opinions and what they thought and just cared.
(That initial team of Ian, Martin, Pat, Mike, Stephen, Simon, Kevin, Rob, Dawn and Carolyn (and I am sure others). I have seen nothing like it since. Many could learn from these on how to be in business, work as a team and how they looked after their staff, just fantastic).
Ian was unique. A gentleman iconoclast for the right reasons with clear thinking about client service, development and use of clever technology with innovative synopses. It was exciting and remains so. Ian’s leadership was pivotal and the team built was strong. It was a privilege to be a part. He was also irritatingly cool… Sláinte Ian.
I’ve only just heard the news ! He was a good man and an inspiration. He will be sorely missed.
Ian was amazing guy. I worked with him in CAL from about 1989 to 1993. Not quite sure of the dates now.
Ian loved his cars and he had an Original Audi Quattro, white with green LED dashboard. I worked with him on real estate systems mostly with big London estate agencies. Ian managed to get us into General Accident estate agencies in about 1989. We went on to create a huge network for GA using DEC VAX technology.
CAL were one of the first to incorporate Images into real estate systems and I remember going to Cannes, Palais de congress with the Digital Equipment Company (DEC) to show our new system. It was so ahead of it’s time and we got a huge response at the show.
On a personal note, Ian was one of the most charismatic people I ever met, he had the gift of the Gab and was incredibly personable.
Ian was a member of the Silverstone Racing Track club and as such had permission to take his Audi Quattro on the track. One day he took me for a couple of laps on the Silverstone track and it was brilliant. He was a very good driver but scared me to death. He had a passion for motor racing.
Though his drive in business could be taxing (I was a programmer at his mercy), he made a difference to Computer Applications Ltd. (CAL). Our biggest win was GA Property Services; CAL had a team dedicated to GA for many years it was a great relationship. I headed the team and it was truly life changing for me and the team and the company. We great people like Glynn Harris (RIP) who has also sadly passed, Ros Clinton-Abel and other great programmers.
Ian left CAL and went on to even greater things, he was an extraordinary man and I am sad to hear so late of his demise. RIP
I was one of the initial directors at MyHomeMove and joined him.lafer at Profile Pensions. He hired me Ian based on recomendations from two former colleagues at Barclays. I truly can say there are few men I have respected more. His ability to think laterally and stretch your thinking strategically was amazing. But he could also drill down into the detail when needed, as was often the case in a start up. We spent a lot of time together. He loved his family. No matter how difficult, doing the right thing was the way he approached every thing. The people that worked for him loved him because of his integrity and caring. Two years after his passing, I still miss him. What a cool great guy and friend!!!