devcast... (ds...)

She has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible in the realm of luxury hospitality and unique accommodations.

Naomi has honed her expertise in real estate and property development, turning her passion for creating exceptional living spaces into a reality.

It was an absolute pleasure to have her as a guest, and I look forward to hearing what my network thinks of the episode.

 

Having been a Director of Savills Research team since 2007, Lucian has a wealth of experience and knowledge across the sector, he’s seen the rise, fall, recovery, a global pandemic, as well as the ever growing topic of the residential property prices for over 2 decades.

He reveals how his journey began as the son of a dairy farmer from Sommerset, and how his life dramatically changed when he joined Savills as a graduate.

He imparts his perspective on longer than anticipated tail of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, residential property's shrinking price points and why people are now heading back to London.

Listen now to hear more from Lucian Cook, one of the country's most respected housing market commentators.

A non-traditional route into property

Parul began her career studying politics and working in the public sector, where she qualified as an accountant. Seeking a faster-paced environment, she transitioned into management consultancy, spending six years tackling challenges for large organisations and travelling extensively.

After starting a family, Parul sought a better work-life balance. At that time, her brother had just launched Fruition Properties and completed its first construction project. He invited her to join the business to support its operations and systems. Two decades later, Parul remains vital to the company’s success and growth.

Advice for starting your career in property

We asked Parul what advice she would give to someone considering taking a leap of faith into the property industry. Her response? “Say yes.” She encourages embracing opportunities, even if they seem daunting at first. Parul advises focusing on discovering what you excel at and using that as a foundation to build your career.

She believes that each job presents an opportunity to learn more about what you enjoy and what might not be the best fit for you. There’s immense value in exploring diverse roles and experiences until you find an environment that feels like home—a place where you can truly grow and develop your skills. By remaining open to possibilities and trusting the process, you can carve out a fulfilling path in the property industry.

Daniels has now accrued over 2 million in investment, established a partnership with Samsung, travelled to Africa and built renewable homes and is a multi-award winner both individually and company-wide, including the accolade of Forbes 30 under 30 in the manufacturing and industry category, as well as a feature in the United Nations 75th anniversary book for his contribution to climate change.

A Project Etopia facility is being set up in the United States, major Middle Eastern countries have signed up to ‘greenify’ the continent and the UK business is in hyper expansion mode, with more clients and more developments underway and upon the horizon. And they’re “not stopping there”.

Throughout this stimulating interview with Andrew Deverell-Smith, founder of strategic consultancy deverellsmith, Hay shares his biggest deal, where you should be investing your money and what the future has in store for the largest independent real estate firm in the world. 

A must listen for any professional serious about their career in the property industry. 

Get to meet the right people with devcast….

Where it all began…

Matt’s professional career started in the valuation space working for the likes of CBRE and JLL as a tenant rep. This very quickly evolved into Matt working in the development world, first as an analyst with a big builder. This bought him exposure to lots of different asset classes, opening his horizons to what opportunities were available within the property industry. 2014 was the first time Matt had exposure to Build to Rent, winning the Commonwealth Games Village project which was held on the gold coast. This was a massive project with 1250 units and was delivered as a build-to-rent asset. 

 

What’s attractive about the Build to Rent market?

The residential space is something that everyone can relate to, as everyone lives in a home or apartment. Matt shared that Australians are obsessed with property, and even though he lives in a house he is always looking at other houses on the market. Build to Rent combines the fundamental grassroots side of property, with the nuts and bolts of commercial, retail or industrial. 

 

An update on the Australian Build to Rent market.

Matt shared that PBSA was always about 7 years behind the UK market. This may sound like a disadvantage, but it enables them to decide what they like or don’t like and witness the mistakes that the UK have made and learn from them. He shares this is the same when applied to the Build to Rent market, when they were building the Commonwealth Games Village in 2014, the UK had already built that asset with the London Olympics in 2012.

In terms of the state of the market, Matt shares that the build-to-sell market began to slow down from around 2018/19 when the offshore purchases that existed to fuel that market on the residential side of things slowed down. Build to Rent is the only asset class right now that is firing on the residential side of things, and because of that rather than being quite a niche market in Australia, it has become potentially the only solution to solving housing affordability. 

 

Home economics to housing communities…

Anna discovered her passion for housing during her home economics studies. During her job search, she became inspired by a position focusing on homeless accommodation—a place designed to aid individuals in transitioning from the streets to more permanent housing, providing a supportive environment for up to a year. At a mere 21 years old, this position challenged her, reshaping her perspective on housing as more than just bricks and mortar; it became intricately tied to people’s experiences. Many who sought refuge in the accommodation grappled with substance abuse, mental health struggles, and the trauma of homelessness. Understanding this holistic view became a crucial lesson for Anna. 

Subsequently, she transitioned into the role of a homelessness officer during the late 80’s, a period rife with mortgage repossessions. Anna worked to expand temporary accommodation while maintaining a keen focus on the human aspect of this crisis. Within 2 years, she proposed a transformative paper aimed at restructuring the system. Her vision aimed to pivot from a reactive service to a homelessness prevention initiative, aiming to intervene earlier in the process to avert the anguish of homelessness.

 

Creating retirement communities for all…

Having garnered extensive experience across almost every facet of the housing industry, Anna delved into the story behind Tonic Housing. The idea was a concept of Tonic’s Founders and board members, sparked from their own life experiences and questions around the choices available to them regarding housing as an elderly member of the LGBTQ+ community. From this, they observed a notable absence of inclusive choices in the housing market, spurring them to offer secure alternatives. Their passion was driven by the aspiration to create a haven where individuals could not only embrace their LGBTQ+ identity but also find solace among like-minded individuals who truly understood their journey.

Journey before Switch

John explains his journey in the hospitality industry began as a hotel management graduate, but it took a turn when he transitioned to working with independent property owners. This led him to work for a company led by an entrepreneurial owner with a penchant for acquiring properties across Oxfordshire. However, his path eventually led him back to the corporate world, where he found the opportunity to establish his own company, marking the birth of Switch.

Fast forward to today, and Switch has grown to a dedicated team of 320 staff members across the group and is heading towards its 2nd anniversary.

 

Taking a step into Build to Rent

John explained that their partnership with Southern Capital, who not only own a couple of the buildings that Switch manages but are also valued shareholders in our company drove their movement into the BTR sector.

Southern Capital was looking to build a PRS development in Birmingham, to build something more up-market, including suites.

During this journey with Southern Capital, John realised that BTR is fundamentally about service, and at its core, it’s all about customer retention and satisfaction – which is what Switch and its team do daily. By putting hotel-trained reception and customer service teams into a BTR development he found that customer retention and yields grow greatly.
Listen now to hear more…

Whilst the majority of office workers were told to ‘stay at home’ during lockdown 1, the life science world needed to return to work quickly and safely. Almost 40% of Biomed’s tenants were working on COVID during this time so their ability to continue to operate was mission-critical. The sector needed to adapt (quick time), and it then became the norm to tour spaces suited up with gloves, masks and protective gear.

Listen to the full interview where Andrew Deverell-Smith questions Colleen O’Connor on the most impressive ideas she’s seen tested in the lab, how the sector will evolve and most importantly, whether she’s a Bowie, The Beatles or Britney fan.

It is time to challenge the norms of society, working life and real estate according to Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Keller Williams and Founder of Taylor Maximus, who aims to learn, work and play in every part of his life. For the final #devcast… episode of 2020, Andrew Deverell-Smith probes Taylor on leadership, innovation, property, people, and how you can start your own agency with Keller Williams. The self-employed model of estate agency is surging, and Ben Taylor is here to tell us why. Listen now...

From rugby fields to real estate

Jonathan has had quite the journey - starting in professional rugby before transitioning into the corporate real estate world. Reflecting on his career shift, he acknowledges that the structured, high-pressure culture of traditional agencies didn’t quite align with his vision. Instead, he and Richard sought to create a space where agents could thrive in an environment built on autonomy, collaboration, and ethical responsibility.

What sets House Collective apart?

Their philosophy is simple: slow down, focus on quality over quantity, and put clients’ needs first. House Collective prioritises a more curated approach. By ensuring that agents handle fewer properties at a time, they can provide a more personalised and attentive service to their clients.

But what truly makes House Collective unique is its dual-discipline model. Unlike traditional firms that separate sales and lettings into two distinct roles, House Collective encourages its agents to be proficient in both. This not only provides agents with more career opportunities but also ensures that clients receive a seamless experience, whether they are buying, selling, or renting.

A commitment to ethics: Achieving B-Corp status

One of House Collectives' standout achievements is their B-Corp certification. Achieving this wasn't easy for Richard and Jonathan, it was a rigorous process that demanded transparency, sustainability, and ethical business practices. But, for House Collective, it wasn’t about checking a box; it was about solidifying their values and setting a new standard for estate agencies.

Making his name in Dubai …

In Dubai, George gained prominence at Union Bancaire Privée, a major family-owned bank. Over 14 years, he astoundingly grew the business from $ 60 million to $5 billion. His success lay in securing capital from major sovereigns, banks, treasuries, and large family offices, solidifying his position in the Middle Eastern finance arena.  

How did he do it? 

According to George, the key is building relationships, consistency, and hard work, day in and day out.  

George gave an example of how this strategy worked. 

George had visited a sovereign fund just 5 times in 4 years, and his colleagues advised him to give up because they believed they were never going to give him business.  

Yet, after the 5th visit, a fax arrived, granting a $1.5 billion mandate, affirming the importance of consistency in building relationships. George saw value in understanding the culture and spending time on potentially sometimes inefficient businesses, which helped him navigate partnerships in the market.  

 

From banking to making bank in the real estate industry…

George is now leading one of the most successful estate agency businesses on the planet, how did he get there?  

Funny story.  

After George’s banking days, he didn’t see any further value in the market from an earning perspective. He shares how working in a private environment had always been beneficial to him, as he was able to get deals done faster, whereas if you work for the big banks, there are regulations and sometimes by the time you get to finalising a decision the deal is off the table.  

This empowered George to be agile and fast in decision-making. His main idea was to set up his own bank, but it was very costly and required a lot of funds. He asked his friend, ‘What could I set up that looks like a bank, behaves like a bank but doesn’t cost like a bank?’, and the answer was real estate. So, he thought if he wanted to get into real estate, he needed a brand.  

He reeled through a list of names and that’s when he came across the name: Sotheby’s.  

Before starting SAY with Charles Seifert, Debra was at Grainger plc for ten years as Director of Asset and Property Management. She was responsible for building Grainger’s asset and property management expertise. Debra has various non-exec roles including deverellsmith.

Andrew is Investment Director at Grainger plc and since joining Grainger in 2001 he has been instrumental in facilitating a number of large acquisitions of both assets and corporate entities. In line with the group’s strategy to invest £850m into the Build to Rent sector, Andrew’s focus is now on managing the investment team, who are responsible for sourcing and acquiring these assets.

Is three a crowd? Are they the ultimate power couple in property? There’s only one way to find out,  listen to this episode of devcast….

Daniel’s renowned expertise, creativity and ability to make things happen has culminated in the sale of some of the world’s most expensive homes, with close to $4 Billion in sales to-date. 

He was one of the first agents to harness the power of social media where he has built an online real estate community and supports young professionals navigate the industry.

 

A property professional, Richard has been involved in residential agency, development and investment for nearly 40 years. Since 2000, he has concentrated on the investment and development sectors; primarily in London and the South East, but also regionally. He became involved in the BTR sector prior to the publication of Sir Adrian Montague’s ‘Review of barriers to institutional investment into the PRS’ in 2012, and has worked in management, investment and development for a number of companies either as consultant or full time. Well known as a speaker and writer, Richard authored ‘Understanding Build to Rent’ for Cubex Land and Fiera Real Estate in 2019. Once described as a “60yo enfant terrible”, a label he does nothing to discourage, he is noted for his outspoken views and contrarian approach. Currently, Richard is Head of Strategy & Enterprise at Howsy.com

Lesley brings wealth of knowledge to the conversation as a well-known specialist and has been heavily involved in the evolution of build to rent in the UK over the last few years. On top of that, Lesley is Chair of Soho Housing Association, an active member of Women in Property and supporter of Real Estate Balance.

Back to the beginning

This podcast episode features the journey of Tom, a chartered surveyor who started his career right after earning his degree from Reading University. He began in consultancy with Montagu Evans, where he quickly honed his skills and gained diverse experience working with high-profile clients, including Landsec and British Land.

A pivotal moment came when a client from Landsec invited him to join their team. Recognising a rare opportunity, Tom took the leap and joined Landsec in 2007. His early years there were filled with excitement, as he worked on designing and developing shopping centres during a vibrant period for retail. However, the global financial crisis soon transformed the landscape, presenting new challenges and shifting his focus. Landsec asked him to step into asset management, refilling and revitalising vacant shopping centres, and ultimately preparing them for sale. Tom embraced this unexpected role, which took him to places he hadn’t yet explored and left him with lasting memories.

A few years later, as the market stabilised, Tom returned to Landsec’s London development team. This marked a transformative phase, as he contributed to the regeneration of Victoria, helping to open up spaces and modernise buildings from the 1950s. Reflecting on this time, Tom shares invaluable lessons learned and fond memories from working with talented people, who shaped both his career and his enduring passion for urban development.

Why Tom joined the visionaries behind Canary Wharf’s transformation

Tom shares his long-standing admiration for Canary Wharf Group, noting how remarkable it is for a development to reach such maturity in just 30-35 years. For a property professional, witnessing Canary Wharf’s transformation—from empty land to the vibrant, iconic hub it is today—is nothing short of extraordinary.

What ultimately drew Tom to join the Canary Wharf Group was the people. He reflects on how every individual he met at the organisation left a lasting impression, inspiring him with their talent and vision. Working alongside such an impressive team has been a defining part of his journey, fueling his excitement and commitment to Canary Wharf’s future.

Defining excellence and building a team inspired by CEO Shobi Khan

Tom reflects on a piece of advice from CEO Shobi Khan that left a lasting impact: "Only hire people you think are exceptional." Khan emphasised the importance of not settling for quick hires, but rather holding out for those who truly stand out.

This principle leads to a key question: What defines ‘exceptional’? Tom shares the qualities he seeks in top talent. First, he values natural enthusiasm—people who are genuinely passionate about their work tend to excel and thrive in their roles. Another vital quality is clear commercial acumen. In a field focused on both design and profitability, Tom looks for individuals who can balance creativity with a sharp business sense, envisioning solutions that ensure both aesthetic and financial success. This instinctive ability to navigate challenges while keeping a commercial lens is something he prizes highly in his team.

The Matterport platform uses artificial intelligence to develop captured content and make it 3D. The end user can view a property as if they were there. A form of technology which is now more relevant than ever as the COVID-19 lockdown has hit us on a global level.

Speeding up the sales cycle, pre-qualifying buyers and helping win new instructions are just a number of benefits for residential and commercial properties.

James began his career in commercial property, then chose entrepreneurial life and launched Virtual Walkthrough. The company was acquired by Matterport after Virtual Walkthrough successfully reached number 1 in EMEA, and now Matterport has tripled in size in the last 2 years.

James is a key voice for the Proptech industry, an expert on 3D and VR, plus a software for a service (SaaS) guru.

An essential listen for property professional’s ready to evolve.

As the CEO , Travis is a global citizen switching between Melbourne, Denver and London frequently. Plus, he wears a lot of different hats. He is most passionate about the product design and direction and connecting with his team and community, so that is where he tries to focus most of his time, along with scaling the company for continued growth and success.

 

Andrew and Alex open the debate on what 2020 buyers want and how Covid-19 has accelerated the need for domestic wellness, outside space and private office areas. What challenges are the luxury property market is facing? What does Alex forecast for the future?

 

Learn more on this episode of #devcast…

IR35 is tax legislation, set to take effect in April 2020, designed to stop workers ‘disguising’ themselves as a contractor, rather than an employee for tax benefits. Clients are responsible for making a Status Determination Statement (SDS), as to whether IR35 applies to each contractor. 

Throughout this informative discussion, Adam and Julian spoke about the risks that the rule change poses to end users and the supply chain, what HMRC expects of businesses who choose to use contractors and how they should prepare for the changes coming in April 2020. 

To hear more on the topic, Adam will be joining Julian in November along with Catriona Watt of Fox & Partners and Clarke Bowles of Clearsky Accounting who together will be forming the panel for a bespoke briefing on the topic at the first devtalks… event of the season. For more information on the event, visit the event page here.

Rachel recently joined Grainger Plc as Head of Operations & Onboarding, where she is leading the charge for a national and growing portfolio. This episode will explore challenges with building a high-quality operation in an increasingly competitive BTR market, what a BTR provider can do now to build high quality operation and customer experience and predictions for 2021 and beyond.

Beginning her career within HR in the late 90’s, Lucinda joined Shell and worked in various roles, starting in Shell Trading. She then wanted to take her passion for sport and blend it with her career and this is when she moved to the Rugby Football Union, working as the HR Director there for over 4 years. 

 

It was here she met ex rugby player, Tim Rodber, who is also the CEO at Instant. With no real desire to work within the property world, she knew that she wanted to work in a fast moving and everchanging industry, with room for growth. And that is how she was pulled into the ever-evolving world of property, through the environment, culture, and the businesses growth potential. 

Sarah fell into the property world and became the first female Sales Director at Foxtons when it was still very much a male dominated space. Since then, she has held positions within a diverse number of departments covering lettings to corporate services!

Spending 20 years with Foxtons, Sarah shares how the people there have helped her to remain loyal for so long, and the challenges she has overcome in her career ahead of setting up the BTR Team.

Nick explores what changes Sarah has seen for women in property, any advice she has for to help grow their careers and how the sector can better promote careers in BTR for women and other minority groups.

Who lives in Build-to-rent?

BTR is a booming sector, and each development attracts a multitude of people all with similar interests: but what’s in their core?

Nick and Ian will be revealing the DNA behind a BTR tenant in this episode of A New Lease of Life. ‘Who lives in Build-to-rent' is Ian’s second publication and unveils data, analysis, key findings and expert commentary on the sector and its customers.  

Ian’s considered a highly trusted pioneer in the BTR world – trusted by Government, MPs and other decision makers – and is an advocate for housing policy, sustainability, planning and regeneration.

With a passion for housing and providing an additional source of quality housing, he was on the Board of National Approved Lettings Scheme (NALS), formerly Chief Economist and Head of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, as a representative of the UK’s small business and entrepreneurs.

At the age of 26, Kemi was told that she was diagnosed with bone cancer, as a result, her left leg was amputated above the knee. Part of her recovery was feeling safe in the knowledge that, whilst she was recovering in hospital, her role was being reserved by SAY Property. 

Throughout this interview, Kemi unravels myths on disability within property and how employers can ensure they address ableist hindrances within office environments. Currently 1/5 of the UK’s population is disabled, but only 4 million of the 14 million disabled people are in full time employment.

In addition to being a multi-awarding associate, she is a member of Notting Hill Genesis' Development and Assets Committee, and a board member for Women In Social Housing (WISH) London. 

To round things off, she also had one of our favourite downtime tips to date: Head to Coal Drops Yard to experience the free street carnival (with a Notting Hill vibe) with lots of music, speakers and sound systems, crafts and food trucks. Where can we sign up?

What is RPO?

Similar to how you outsource your IT function, you could have an individual that works for the company in house, or you could buy into a business that has a selection of experts that you could utilise. That’s the same for recruitment process outsourcing. 

• Pete Sheppard – Managing Director of Hintel 
•  

Who is Hintel? 

We're a real estate and construction-focused outsourcing business whose ultimate objective is to improve your recruitment process. We do this by aligning our objectives with your priorities. 

Hintel as a business has so many different facets to it and there is no one size fits all. Alongside this, there is lots of marketing support we can provide to, raising the profile of clients personal brand.
 

The impact of data and research

The role of the data and research team for Hintel is to look in the marketplace for the right talent. This isn’t necessarily people that are actively looking for a new role, or people who are saying ‘I need a new job’, this is genuinely the talent that’s out there in the market. 

What’s important about what the team do here, is we can provide clients with a really high quality and well-rounded, informed opinion on what the market is doing in their space and who the right people are. 

• Eliza Jones – Director of Data and Research at deverellsmith & Hintel 

The Industrious story...

Jamie took an industrious dive into the flexible workplace space from running an education organisation. Whilst preparing for a meeting with the president of Ikea, he felt his office space didn’t supply a professional setting for him to prepare effectively, resulting in his moving to a Belgian coffee shop. 

This sparked a question in Jamie, if he was feeling this way, there must be 50,000 companies wanting to take advantage of a more productive shared workspace. Buying into a subscription rather than signing a long-term lease, but also wanted something more professional, more elegant that they could be proud of.

In fact, Jamie’s next-door neighbour did share this experience, and so they decided to team up and create a more professional, more elegant, shared workplace product. This is where industrious was born.  

Where is the future of office spaces heading?

Pre-covid there seemed to be a clear evolution of the office industry. Since the pandemic there has been a clear march towards flexibility, which was not only driven by the pandemic, but by globalisation, insecurity, recessions, and economic downturns. 

Alain explains that the demand for flexibility has always been there, mainly driven by start-ups and consultancy companies, only to have been reinforced by the pandemic. 

What could this look like over the coming years? 

Jamie highlights three observations:

• Employee empowerment: An increase in acceptance of alternating working from home and in the office. The choice seems to now be in the hands of employees to decide where they do their best work
• Increased availability: There are now more choices for companies when it comes to their office space. Companies are now setting up ‘Hub’ and ‘Spoke’ models. For example, having a central London office, but also an office in West London and more suburban locations. This accommodates employees who can’t commute and turns companies’ offices into a network of spaces. 
• Choose your workplace: There is a movement from 5 days a week to choosing your own adventure style type of working. Employees are now able to choose whether they work at a desk, at home, in a soft seating area or at a satellite office. 

Currently installed across the USA, Phil is spearheading SmartRents global strategy and is looking to emulate the technology across the build to rent, PRS, purpose-built student accommodation & housing association markets across the UK & Europe.

Firstly, they are hit with the eye-opening stat that 41% of employers are reporting an increase in staff turnover and difficulty in retaining employees. James made a strong claim that there is a war on talent in the market right now, and we are experiencing the biggest candidate shortage of our generation. This leaves no surprise that employers are seeing a rise in attrition as we are witnessing candidates receive up to 8 offers at a go, so they can afford to be picky!

In this podcast episode, Andrew Deverell-Smith questions Richard Margree further on the largest regen scheme in Europe, innovation and challenging the status quo of the conventional built environment.

Rainbows, laughter and sunshine, that’s what this mix brings. deverellsmith’s CEO and Founder, Andrew Deverell-Smith, mixed a disco delight perfect for a sunny BBQ or lockdown virtual party. Grab your friends, because you’ve got the perfect playlist.

The journey

From meeting at university, Paul, and Alex both set out on separate careers, Paul in professional sports and Alex the luxury events space. After becoming a P.E. teacher, Paul found a mentor in a student’s father who ended up becoming their trusted business partner. 

Following this, Paul and Alex began their first endeavour together, setting up an events business for children. After successfully running the fast-paced and reactive business for 4 years, a competitor acquired the company, and the couple were left to consider their next move. 

In the process of selling their London home and buying their next in Sussex, they were left unimpressed with the experience they had with the estate agency. From valuation to launching the house on the market, they were left uninspired and felt as if the job was not done to a standard they expected, especially considering it is usually the biggest asset a person can transact on. 

Both Paul and Alex saw an opportunity to not only make the experience consumers had with estate agents more enjoyable and fulfilling, but ‘discerningly different’. Taking buying and selling a home to something deeper, creating a story and sense of belonging through every step of the process. 

Mr and Mrs Clarke was then born, setting up their estate agency in Warwickshire.

 

The first phone call

Back to the basics, Mr and Mrs Clarke gained their first client through direct marketing, a handwritten letter delivered by post (yes that still happens) reaching out to residents in Warwickshire. The letter simply introduced themselves as a brand-new agency and ‘if you are thinking of selling your home, let’s meet for a coffee, or even better a G&T’. 

From this, Paul and their first client met, and she loved the vision Paul had for selling her beloved home. From creating the story around their home, talking about their local school, taking pictures of her gorgeous dog in the back garden, and styling the house for beautiful pictures, she instantly wanted Mr and Mrs Clarke to sell her home. Since then, she has generated around £3million for the business through referrals of friends and family.

 

The vision

Mr and Mrs Clarke founded the agency because they held the belief that estate agency could be done better – with the customer at the heart of the process. Paul shared that they started the agency with the desire to do estate agency in their own way, with what people want from an agency at the core – someone to hold their hand through the whole sales process.

Paul states they went from little milestones like selling the first house to building their reputation and realising there is more opportunity out there. Mr and Mrs Clarke’s brand and people are most important to them, leading them to their unique mixture of experience, creativity, and honesty. 

After being approached by a fantastic estate agent in London, Paul explained how he came to him wanting to run his own business, but not having the funds to do so on his own. After coming to an agreement, Mr and Mrs Clarke gave him everything he needed to do this, allowing him to be an estate agent with everything from marketing and lead generation support from Mr and Mrs Clarke. 

From there things snowballed, and Paul had more people saying they wanted to work with the agency, wanting to be self-employed estate agents, with the brand and support of Mr and Mrs Clarke. 

And the rest is history…

At the age of 23, Michela had almost completed her degree in psychology, it was at this point when she faced head-on the realisation that she was about to embark on the wrong career path.

Inspired by her Grandfather’s successful tyre company, and breaking the Southern American mould that women's purpose wasn't to work, Michela chose the route of real estate development in order to support renovating the land which her family's company sat on. Fast forward to 2020, Michela now leads development for some of the most innovative and sought-out projects across the capital and UK.

Her knowledge of multifamily projects makes Michela an expert in the build-to-rent space. Earning herself the position as Board Member of British Property Federation Build to Rent Committee and United Kingdom Apartment Association as well as Vice Chairman of Urban Land Institute.

There's only one way to discover the key to Michela's success. Listen to the podcast.

The Property Academy marks his footprint, the UK Property Industry’s pre-eminent business improvement and events company, of which he founded in 2007. The Property Academy host several events, workshops and bespoke coaching programmes throughout the year and work with some of the industry’s most successful and aspiring estate agents and suppliers – including top international and home-grown talent.

 

An original thinking and thought leader, he questions convention and isn’t afraid to ask the big questions. Richard is a highly experienced residential property expert, and since his first appearance on a new lease of life, he has founded the UK Single Family Associate, a not-for-profit members organisation, representing the whole housing and construction spectrum.

He talks about what sets the single-family rental market apart from the rest of Build to Rent, why he set up his new organisation and their mission for the future. 

 

In episode 3 of devcast... Laura Croggon catches up with founder of The Daisy Chain, Louise Deverell-Smith. Louise reveals how having kids provoked an idea for an innovative online career platform and explores the key benefits of flexible working.

Ogundipe is unquestionably a trailblazer who has always commendably had a passion for helping young, underrepresented people build their careers. His careers platform DIVERSE aims to democratise access to the best early career’s advice through an engaging format, before connecting job candidates to inclusive employers. The Commons Library reported in May 2021 that unemployment for young people has increased by 13,000, a 2% increase. This episode explores how we as employers can support the reduction of long-term unemployment distress for young people, talent attraction for young and underrepresented communities, and how to be an employer that keeps them in their workforce!

Early ambitions and building resilience

Peter shares with us his humble beginnings as a young entrepreneur working a variety of jobs to earn some extra cash. Whether it was flipping burgers outside Twickenham, washing cars, or selling beer merchandise, Peter has done it. 

From this experience, he realised he was a superb salesperson and got his first sales role selling AXA cash back on health insurance outside Reading train station, stopping people in their paths and persuading them in a brief amount of time to buy into what he was offering. 

He advocates any perspective salesperson to gain experience in that kind of cutthroat sales job, because as an employer, that stands out above any university degree as it gives a person invaluable experience in learning how to deal with people and most importantly, deal with rejection. 

Talking openly, Peter voices there were many times he would phone his dad crying thinking he couldn’t make it in the industry, but that early experience gave him the resilience to drive through his self-doubt. 

This resilience transferred into his first job with Romans, and it enabled him to open more opportunities for the business. Peter was willing to get out into the town centre with a clip board and talk to people face to face, where others may not have felt so comfortable in that setting. 

 

Romans to Right Now 

After just 18 months at Romans, Peter was offered a career altering job opportunity in London, and this is where he gained valuable experience in lettings and where Right Now Residential was born. 

Commencing his prosperous business in his council estate flat in Clapham, with no investments and just a small desk; whiteboard; laptop and camera. Peter divulges how he progressed from making no profit in his first six months of business to running an amazingly successful estate agency today. 

 

What is happening Right Now

Peter gives insight into the present substantial growth of his company and his recent success in the Build to Rent sector, highlighting the biggest reason for success lies with hiring the best talent, who are passionate and hungrier than ever. 

 

At the end of the day, it is all about the people.

Listen now to learn more about what it takes to make it in the estate agency industry, gain expert insight into the current market and how Peter Murphy uses sport to help him achieve a healthy work life balance.

As the festive season draws to a close, the new year seems to fill with a sense of pressure to make resolutions and intentions to better oneself. The month tends to drag, due to fads like Dry Jan and Veganuary taking over. Most days are filled with grey clouds and rain, and to add to top it all off it feels like a lifetime until payday.

What’s the result? Blue Monday, supposedly the ‘most depressing day of the year’. 

The day was given the ‘Blue Monday’ label by a travel company with the aim to boost travel sales. 17 years later, the day is now nationally recognised and typically takes place on the third Monday of the year. Although a myth and originally a marketing ploy – like Valentine’s Day - we believe the January blues can still be real for many. 

Similarly to the Samaritan’s and their #BrewMonday movement, our Employee Wellbeing Ambassador, Ryan Doyle, was on a mission to create a positive spin this year, as well as raise awareness and bring an expert into our ‘devcast studio’. 

Throughout the episode, Ryan speaks with Rhonda D’Ambrosio (Founder of Mental Health In Recruitment and UK Director of The Kite Program) to offer support and advice for anyone wanting to level up their knowledge on mental health, coping mechanisms and how to provide support to those in need.

We hope you find this podcast useful, and always remember to take time to look after yourself and make yourself a priority.

If you are feeling low, you can use the following helplines to speak with someone:

• Rethink –

https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/what-we-do/advice-and-information-service/get-help-now/

• Mind –

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

• Samaritans –

https://www.samaritans.org/

In the late 2000's, Andrea regularly attended events hosted for property professionals as an industry journalist, writing for a variety of publications including Property Week. The lack of female presence on stage was a regular phenomenon and she was ready to make a change. A change to shape the future of females within property.

Women Talk Real Estate offers a practical solution to increase the visibility of women in the industry. Connecting female professionals with speaking and press opportunities and offering tailored training for women on all aspects of building a successful stage and media presence. 

Visibility matters. For the individual, it brings about better business opportunities and career progression, and it also challenges stereotypes and provides role models for the benefit of the whole industry. Women Talk Real Estate is a completely free platform, with a database of over 700 females who are eager to make their mark on the industry. 

Prior to Women Talke Real Estate’s inception, Andrea worked in the European commercial property sector for more than 20 years, and has a specialist knowledge of the workings of the industry and a wide network of senior contacts. Her first ten years were spent as a journalist, including seven years as editor of EuroProperty, a monthly financial title that focused on investment and development trends in the industry. 

After that, Andrea worked for commercial property trade bodies, including the Urban Land Institute, as well as three years at INREV, an industry association based in Amsterdam, as a Director and Interim Chief Executive. This was followed by a year in Hong Kong, where she was Director for ANREV, INREV’s Asian sister organisation. 

On her return to the UK, she worked as Head of Marketing and Communications EMEA at CBRE Global Investors where she supervised the corporate and programme marketing, press, branding and internal communications in the region. 

Andrea is a regular speaker and panellist at industry events as well as a media spokesperson and regular contributor to industry magazines. In 2008, she won the Outstanding Industry Contribution Award at the IPE Real Estate Awards for her contribution to the development of the European fund management industry. 

Andrea brought her experience of public speaking to the studio, resulting in a highly energised and rewarding conversation. Get to meet the right people with devcast...

At Navana, Katherine leads the specialist BTR division, providing end-to-end consultancy advice and management services to developer, operator, investor and institutional clients. She has a keen focus on how shifting resident behaviours and lifestyles are impacting the sector, in addition to how technology can be harnessed to drive operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Welcome to #ANewLeaseOfLife, a sub-series of the devcast… podcast, where you’ll be learning how experts of the BTR, PRS, student accommodation and retirement living sectors climbed the ladder of their professional careers.

Hosted by Nick Hammond, Head of Build to Rent at deverellsmith.

The makings of a world-class estate agent

Gary shared that in his opinion, various things help you become a great estate agent.

Firstly, knowing the market inside out, year in and year out. Being able to understand what’s available in the market, the prices, what stock there is and who are the potential sellers and buyers.

Secondly, is being able to manage a lot of enquiries. How do you decide which to look after, pass on, or ignore? You need to be able to hear a name and know who this person is and whether they are capable of buying, and you must know that almost instinctively.

Agency is a function of knowledge. Knowledge about your buyers, knowledge about the properties, knowledge about the market, prices per square foot and understanding what is doable and what is not.

How the game will change in 10-15 years

With the dollar being strong against the pound, Gary remarks that the industry has a real advantage currently. This is historically one of the best periods for dollar-based buyers to buy property in the UK.

To highlight the first-rate market, Gary shared that he has 4 properties and one just exchanged under offer to dollar-based buyers. Pre-Brexit you were talking $1.80 to the pound. A sale of £ 20 million would have been $36 million. Now a $ 20 million asset is selling for £19 million.

The most complicated deal in Gary Hersham’s history

Avenfield House comprised 128 Park Lane, Avenfield house itself, offices, shops and residential.

Gary paints a picture for us. Imagine a block of flats, with offices squeezed in between two residential buildings, and Gary was asked to sell 128 Park Lane residential building. Surprisingly, when Gary received the copy of the documentation, there is no separate lease for 128 Park Lane and Avenfield House.

Gary had to negotiate with the short leaseholder of 111 Park Lane, Grosvenor Estate and others to simply extract 128 Park Lane, which Gary eventually sold for £3.3 million.

When we get a copy of the documentation, it’s an overall lease, no separate lease for 128 park lane and no separate lease for Avenfield house. And all we wanted to do was buy 128 Park Lane.

The deal itself, and the complexity of it was Gary’s most interesting deal he’s ever done, and that was in the mid-’80s. He disclosed it has stuck in his mind 40 years later.

Ryan is one of the Co-Founders of ‘Co-Liv’, a non-profit organization, ecosystem and do-tank whose mission is to empower the co-living phenomenon, and is a partner in a number of upcoming co-living schemes across the US, Europe and Asia.

Learn more about Ryan and the world of Co-Living in this episode of #devcast…

First in the series is Tim Stephen, Director at Community Utilities, Nick learns what a career looks like after 20 years’ experience in the industry. Tim’s specialised in the alternative real estate industry working for key companies including Bilfinger GVA and Empiric Student Property. Join Nick as Tim reveals his professional and ultimately unique journey through the sector.

Highly connected  and a true mentor (Bisnow claim that Susan is the most connected woman in real estate), Susan offers her top tips and advice on how to build your network in Real Estate. The episode explores why it’s important to listen to young talent within the industry; empowering junior professionals to shift perspective and move the needle.  

What should leaders do to attract a more diverse talent pool? Why should customer service be at the forefront of a firm’s strategy? What can you do to accelerate the industry’s evolution? 

Listen to learn more.

Pierre has over 15 years’ experience in the US multifamily market, holding senior positions for key operators including Laramar Group, McCaffery Interests and Magnolia Capital. Pierre has recently relocated to the UK with his family, joining CA Ventures. CA Ventures are a leading developer and operator of purpose-built accommodation, with over £10 billion pounds worth of assets under management, and several more under development. Pierre is tasked with spearheading CA Management’s expansion in the UK and European build to rent market.

In this episode, David Young provides valuable insights into team dynamics, emphasising a strengths-based approach to exploring how to build high-performance teams.

Andrew Deverell-Smith delves into how David Young started and built his career within sports psychology and topics such as understanding group vs team dynamics, leveraging super strengths and finding the perfect balance between challenging and supporting teams.

After a high flying career as a real estate lawyer, Stephen Marks swapped the corporate carpet for a yoga mat to engage in a new career in mindfulness and well-being. Not just to people but buildings too as a healthy building consultant to the property industry. In a stimulating interview Stephen sheds light (and clean air) on an increasingly significant factor in the industry; healthy buildings create healthy people; as well as some tips on how to be at your best in your working environment, from owning the morning to the odd cat nap....

Welcome to #ANewLeaseOfLife, a sub-series of the devcast…podcast, where you’ll be learning how experts of the build to rent and alternative investment sectors have climbed the ladder of their professional careers.. 

Hosted by Nick Hammond, Head of Build to Rent at deverellsmith. 

Here’s a sneak peak of the newsworthy topics Andrew and Ryan discussed in the episode...

 

What is the private office of Knight Frank? 

Everyone knows Knight Frank…

Known as a high-end agency business it also spreads across the global residential and commercial market. 4 years ago, Knight Frank identified an opportunity to improve in the private capital, family office and wealthy client space. 

This is where Rory comes in. Setting up the private office with just a two-man team, they are now 16 people strong in London and offices in New York, Middle East and Singapore! Rory is there to wrap his arms around their wealthy clients, providing them with long-term, consistent advice supporting them through transacting around the Knight Frank network. 

Whether they are buying a house in Kensington or penthouse in New York, they are the central advisory team to care for wealthy clients.

 

How would you define a wealthy client? 

A tricky question to answer, as Rory explains they try not to categorise our clients. He illuminates that the general market recognition of ultra-high network is having a net worth of more than £30 million. 

Astonishingly, Knight Frank have a sizable database of people with a net worth of £500 million and even a billionaire database. Rory makes it clear that every client will get an incredible service, but some bigger get slightly more attention because of their large global portfolios and commanding requirements.

Dewe is a major part of Knight Frank’s management team and works with the Country Residential offices promoting growth and turnover. Joining Knight Frank in 1996, he has had plenty of roles within the firm which have included heading up the Oxford office for several years, he is now located at the Global Headquarters as a Head of Department in London.  

Listen now for an expert’s insight on how to excel in a career in property.

After working as a Chartered Accountant for more than 15 years within the property industry, Harris was previously Finance Director at Dolphin Living, eventually assuming the role of Chief Executive. With an abundance of industry knowledge and an impressive career, Olivia shares with Nick Dolphin Livings's core mission, what they have planned for their future talent and how they have navigated through these unprecedented times.

 

Life before Dolphin 

Following her Chartered Accountant qualification, Harris worked in a practice for a couple of years, working with real estate clients such as Mapeley and Delancy. She shares that this was a time in her life when she had an accelerated learning curve, however, working full-time became incompatible with her life as a Mum. 

With the support of Delancy, she then made the jump to setting herself up as a consultant working part-time, giving her more flexibility whilst enabling her to continue the fascinating work that she always had done, such as working on a German property fund and student accommodation.

After realising she was treading water and not advancing her career at the rate she wanted, Harris applied for a part-time Finance Director role at Dolphin Living, and that’s where her voyage with Dolphin began. 

 

Diving into Dolphin Living 

Distraught after not initially getting to the 2nd interview stage, Harris eventually progressed through the stages and met with the board. Subsequently, Harris was offered the job and joined in April 2012, and has now been with them for a solid 10 years. 

Harris shares that in the 1960s Westminster City Council bought Dolphin Square. Fast-forward to the 2000s and the council realised that the square wasn’t reaching its full potential. They did something about it, and along with the leaseholders the interest was sold. 

The charity was set up to help London workers on modest incomes afford accommodation near their places of work. Harris described Dolphin Living as a ‘small-scale BTR without the bells and whistles, focused on keeping rent low, but the quality of homes high.

 

The future of talent for Dolphin Living 

Harris explains that charities can’t always compete on salary, as we don’t pay significant bonuses, but one of the things they focus on is bringing talent into the organisation and retaining them through training and development opportunities and an excellent working environment. 

She shared that when working for smaller organisations, the boundaries of your job are freer, so you get the opportunity to step out of the constraints of the role and get involved with other capacities of the organisation. 

 

Listen now to learn more about Dolphin Living and its mission, and what she thinks the new housing minister’s priorities should be over the next 100 

Before lockdown 2.0 hit, we were lucky enough to have Tony join us at deverellsmith HQ for a fundraising day where he told us all about his and his team’s incredible work. Listen to this episode of #devcast… to find out how you, your business and team can support Whitechapel Mission over the holidays.

London - one of the most innovative technology hubs the world has to offer - and Notting Hill Genesis brought social housing into the tech-mix. Partnering with Asos to create an innovative platform which releases the transaction administrative burden from both business and customer.

But this episode isn’t all shiny and slick. The duo discuss the overlooked skill shortage which the industry could be facing and why it’s taken 18 housing minister’s in 20 years for the market to finally have a positive outlook.

If that didn't make you want to listen, Andy also revealed he went to school with a certain Irish rock star...

Welcome to #ANewLeaseOfLife, a sub-series of the devcast… podcast, where you’ll be learning how experts of the BTR, PRS, student accommodation and retirement living sectors climbed the ladder of their professional careers.

Hosted by Nick Hammond, Head of Build to Rent at deverellsmith.

The transition to adulthood from university is never easy, institutionalized for almost the entirety of our lives and set free after 2 decades sheltered from the real world. It’s normal to feel scared, alone and uneasy. Becki felt all those things, and after extensive research, she decided that graduates required more support and guidance than what was readily available. Enter: Grad Life by the Horns.

For those who aren’t familiar with the show - Grad Life by the Horns is a podcast covering every element of graduate life. From the existential dread that accompanies the last few months of university, to entering the graduate wasteland jobless and £30,000 in debt, this bi-weekly show will offer practical advice and comforting stories to help ease your stress.

In this episode, Becki dished up a wealth of advice for graduates who are desperately seeking a route into the industry, as well as addressing challenges and risks which grads may face along the way. It’s an essential listen for those just getting started and employees who are looking for innovative ways to attract young guns, ready to make serious waves in property.

In addition to her role at Knight Frank and her side hustle, Grad Life by the Horns, she writes for The Independent and has featured on the BBC. Since graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2019, with a degree in International Relations and Politics, Rebecca has focused her efforts on building her career while also maintaining her passion for mental health activism through journalism.

Nicola is the owner of a renowned and award-winning estate agency nestled in the vibrant Colmore BID district. Since establishing the company in 2004, Nicola has steered the company to prominence, earning it a respected reputation as one of Birmingham's premier residential agencies.

She shares her inspiring journey to success, her commitment to the Colmore BID and what plans she has for the upcoming year.

You can watch and listen to the full episode now...

The day was given the ‘Blue Monday’ label by a travel company with the aim to boost sales and typically takes place on the third Monday of the year. Although a myth, we understand that January Blues can still be a reality for many. 

The Samaritan’s started their #BrewMonday campaign to remind us to reach out for a cuppa and a catch-up with the people we care about. 

Our Employee Wellbeing Ambassador, Ryan Doyle, was on a mission to create a positive spin this year, as well as raise awareness and bring an expert into our ‘devcast studio’.

He invited Will Castle, Director at CBRE and Movember Ambassador, to speak with him about his mental health journey, how he became a reputable Movember ambassador, and what advice he has learned along the way that he can share with our listeners who may be feeling affected by the January blues.

Will’s journey with mental health

Will openly shared his journey with mental health began after he lost his father to suicide 12 years ago. After not speaking about it for 10 years after it happened, he gradually began to open up to others around him, which gave him comfort and also allowed him to help other people navigate their challenges. He is now a strong believer in mental health and works part-time for the Movember charity, doing various talks throughout the month to spread the word. 

What influential things have you learned throughout your journey? 

Something to remember is that everyone’s journey is different, and Will shares this is the most important thing he has learned in his experience over the years. Individuals will react to situations in different ways. Another key learning point Will keeps in mind is what people choose to show you just about scratches the surface. Especially your colleagues you see every day, we all walk into work and want to be the best version of ourselves, even if that version isn’t the real version of you. We see in terms of ‘Brew Monday’ after we all come back after a wonderful break with friends and family, we might put on a smile for clients and colleagues, but we may be feeling unmotivated, a bit poorer and there should be no reason we can’t show a bit more vulnerability with people we know and trust. 

Listen now to hear the entire podcast and more advice from Will about mental health in the workplace, and how we can support each other day to day …

If you are feeling low, you can use the following helplines to speak with someone:

• Rethink
• Mind
• Samaritans

 

Influences from around the world

Born in Sri Lanka, David’s father managed tea estates and David followed him around the world throughout the early years of his life. He lived in South India for ten years, then moved to Uganda for 3-4 years and finally to Canada. Throughout those years travelling, from the age of 8 David was flying back to the UK to go to boarding school.

David shared that looking back, having these influences from around the world has shaped who he is today, his perspective on life and the way he does business. Visiting and living in all of these diverse countries, gave him the chance to experience the extreme differences between countries such as the climate and poverty.

All in all, it taught him resilience, opened him up to influences from everywhere and gave him the ability to look at the world from a unique viewpoint.

 

Leading people

David became the joint Managing Director of ARGENT in 2006 and the sole Managing Partner in 2012. Almost half of that time has been spent in some sort of leadership position.

Aside from the plethora of iconic projects that he has worked on within his career, David shares the part that he is most proud of is the business and its people. To be able to say that the values that he sees within the organisation today that are driving people to create great places are the ones that the business was built upon 30 years ago is something that he is extremely proud of.

David shares that he has always wanted the business to be admired AND respected. He reveals he has instilled and maintained those values within the business by firstly articulating them to the key stakeholders within the business as well as hiring people into the business that share the same values and will flourish under them.

 

Net Zero Carbon Building Standard Initiative

This is something that David has always been extremely interested in, and a topic that Argent has been implementing in all their projects – to be as climate change friendly as possible.

David became the Chair of the trustees of the UK Green Building Council in 2017 and to this day is a trustee. After having a discussion about what things are of critical importance within the property industry, David shares there was a unanimous agreement that the industry needed a single definition of what net zero carbon was for the entire market.

They have now brought together a whole group of property professionals, including RIBA, RICS and the Carbon Trust to bring the initiative forward by the entire real estate industry. The initiative has been formulated by professionals with the intention of getting it adopted by everyone from the people that own the building, the people that build the building and the people that lend money to those people.

David shares that if the industry has a single metric of what net zero really means, then we can all account for it, and that’s the key. As soon as the industry can find a price for carbon and measure it, everyone will start to adapt their real estate to ensure they end in a net zero position. 

Nick has worked for both public sector and private sector regeneration specialists and has a strong commitment to balancing the tensions between commercial, social, and physical outcomes associated with regeneration and development.  He has delivered social value programmes for the London Borough of Croydon, and helped to shape and deliver long term strategic development partnerships, in his last role at Places for People setting up a Joint Venture with National Grid.  

Prior to this he worked in the new business team at Lendlease, and has also held roles for small family run developers and in consultancy.  He recently joined Sovereign Housing Association to head up a new Strategic Business Development team, with a focus on estate regeneration, town centre and high street renewal and partnerships.  He is a member of the CIOB and RICS.  Nick has worked extensively in multi-disciplinary schemes, guiding development from land acquisition through to delivery.

Andrew Deverell-Smith is joined by B6 CEO, Paul Massey, for the launch of devcast… USA.

For 26 years, Paul was at the helm of Massey Knackal brokerage business, which became unquestionably the number one real estate investment brokerage in New York city. Leading up to its sale at Cushman and Wakefield Paul was accredited with developing some of New York’s biggest real estate brokers and the Massey Knackal D&A spreads throughout much of New York’s brokerage landscape. After leaving Cushman and briefly foraging into New York politics, Paul set up B6 real estate advisors in July 2018 with a goal of becoming the number one mid-market investment sales and capital advisory brokerage in the States.

This episode explores how Paul achieved success in one of, if not the, most competitive real estate cities in the world.

To learn more on B6 and how Paul’s team can support you visit the B6 website here. deverellsmith’s US office offers strategic talent solutions and consultative approach which enables us to connect your organisation to talented people who truly represent your values, fit your culture and have the skills and expertise to drive your real estate business forward. Visit deverellsmith US here.

 

 

Lagrem is undoubtedly aspirational and uses her visibility to stimulate change within the industry. Make mistakes, live your life unapologetically as yourself and remember that sexuality is one single facet of someone’s identity and not something to be afraid of. Hire an individual for all aspects of the person, not just for their degree and/or experience.

The theme for Pride 2020 is ‘allyship’, highlighting the support the LGBTQ+ community require from their straight peers, both professionally and in their personal life. Mentors, leaders and colleagues, we all have a role to play.

Listen to find out more.

How are you feeling this Mental Health Awareness Week?

We're strong believers that an employee’s (and an employer’s) wellbeing should be valued year-round. To raise awareness of the importance of mental health and the challenges it can bring, deverellsmith has created a toolkit to help employers support their staff and individuals, specifically when working from.

Featuring in the toolkit is this master mix of feel-good sounds, curated by our CEO, Andrew Deverell-Smith.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did in creating it...

Hosted by Andrew Deverell-Smith, Global CEO and founder of deverellsmith & Hintel, listen as they dive into Nick’s back-to-front way of getting into the property market, how he came to work at Pocket Living, his favourite parts of his career so far and the challenges he finds with regarding the politics of the property industry.

Listen to the full episode now.

This week, Jon Hammond was in the hot seat, joined by Nick to discuss the dramatic changes the UK and world has seen in parcel volumes and how the pandemic has shaped the ecommerce industry forever.

Beginning his career at Foxtons after university, Alex saw a gap in the London property landscape to take ownership of the lettings market. He explains that he saw the London property world was becoming saturated with estate agents, and there was room for the world to become more specialised. Being a huge believer in being an expert in one area and becoming the best in class to provide the best service, this is where Winchester White was born.

 

Setting up in Wimbledon in 2010, Winchester White is now about to open their fourth office in South Kensington taking their lettings expertise into Central London, after dominating the market in and around Wimbledon for several years.

 

Alex shares how his impressive passion for running has translated into his business success and gives expert advice to anyone looking to take the next step in their career. A key take-away from this; be fearless and un-afraid to get it wrong!

 

Listen now for an expert’s insight into how to excel within the London lettings market.

 

Ryan asks Camilla on the early stages of her career, how Black-Brick became so successful and her thoughts and opinions on the current market.

In this very special edition of devcast..., our guest joined us from one of the epicentres of the global real estate market, the Big Apple... New York City. Andrew Deverell-Smith chats with the King of New York Real Estate no less, Ryan Serhant.

Ryan is an American real estate broker, bestselling author, producer, and star of Bravo’s two-time Emmy Nominated reality television series, Million Dollar Listing New York, and its spin-off, Sell It Like Serhant.

He is also the leading member of The Serhant Team—a New York based, bi-coastal real estate group that has consistently ranked as the #1 sales team in New York and among the top five teams nationwide.

He's a husband, father, wakes up at 4am, closes more sales in a day than most do in a lifetime and we’re very lucky to have about 2000 seconds of his time…

Are you putting the people of your business first this year? 

The property industry has significant growth plans upon the horizon; platforms like RightMove have reported their ‘busiest ever start to the year’ and HMRC’s numbers highlighted that December’s sales were 30% higher than October’s. 

Each business will want to strategically capitalise on the market’s bounce-back and its shared knowledge that having the right people in your business will help you achieve your tactical end goal. 

Our goal? To advise on the hiring market, how to retain talent and candidate behaviour. 

Our team at deverellsmith spend their career talking to professionals within the property industry – from entry-level to C-Suite – and we’re confident our market intelligence can help with key business decisions. 

Every quarter, deverellsmith’s CEO (Andrew Deverell-Smith) and Managing Director (James Campion) will provide insight, uncover data and have some fun whilst doing it.

For the launch episode, the duo will respond ‘true or false’ to statements regarding six topics which we often get asked about: candidates, hiring process, interview process, salaries, leadership and Employer Value Proposition. 

www.deverellsmith.com 

Selling records and posters in the 80’s lead to his unexpected admission into property; his journey is undeniably unique. Confidence, belief and determination are his mantra. Urban Splash drive the bandwagon for innovation in regentrification, creative from the ground up.

Over the past quarter of a century, Urban Splash created more than 5,000 new homes and 1.5 million sq ft of workspace in over 60 regeneration projects.  

An essential listen, inspiring those eager to think outside the box .

Nick is joined by Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association.

Ben has over 18 years in the property sector. He was previously the Managing Director at TDS, where he was responsible for running the largest tenancy deposit scheme in Northern Ireland. He then moved to Touchstone as the Operations Director, responsible for their PRS operations. At present, Ben is the Chief Executive of the largest trade body for landlords in the UK, the NRLA. Responsible for improving the image of landlords, creating a private sector that is fair for landlords and tenants and helping our members be the best they can, through information, training and accreditation.

This episode explores Jeremy’s career, the specialist skills that are emerging and developing in BTR and their importance, company culture and much more.

Manhattan Loft Corporation are the property pioneers who brought loft-living to London. Luring exceptional living space from former factories and derelict warehouses, they created the cutting-edge lifestyle that showed the way forward by repurposing the past. Today, MLC continue to define how 21st century London lives.

 

Welcome to #ANewLeaseOfLife, a sub-series of the devcast…podcast, where you’ll be learning how experts of the build to rent and alternative investment sectors have climbed their professional career ladder… 

Hosted by Nick Hammond, Head of Build to Rent at deverellsmith. 

The gender pay gap vs equal pay

​

​Susan Gregory explains that the gender pay gap concerns the difference in hourly pay between men and women. This is where an organisation will calculate the earnings of their male employees and divide that by the total number of men in the business. They will then do the same with women and the difference between those numbers is what the gender pay gap represents. This often highlights a disparity of earnings between men and women.

The gender gap is not comparing those that are working in the same role and are being paid a different amount (however some are), it’s highlighting that women are often in lower paid, less senior, and less decision-making positions.

​Ellie Reese explains that the gender pay gap goes further by separating the mean and median average into lower, middle, and upper quartiles. Usually, if you have work for of majority women which most estate agencies do, most women are sitting in the lower pay quartile, showing they are in those more supporting roles.

​

The estate agency world

​

Considering only companies with over 250 employees need to publish what their gender pay gap is, Nicola, asks how this impacts the estate agency world where most of those businesses are going to be working under that number. They discuss that it is difficult, however, the 20-odd organisations in the industry that so qualify for that number represent well what an estate agency looks like. Most of the small independent agencies will have structures and processes like those of bigger, corporate estate agencies. Corporate businesses have a responsibility of setting the tone because they are highly visible within the industry.

Why is the conversation around the gender pay gap becoming more prevalent?

​

​Ellie Reese suggests that the aftermath of the pandemic has changed the landscape of the working world in general and has highlighted so many things that are based on gender. Furthermore, there has been a rise to the surface of dissatisfaction in general since the me-too movement, and we are more open to having these honest conversations.

As a society we are becoming more aware of the world around us, what is good and what is acceptable, leading to the gender pay gap being on people’s minds which is in turn reflecting the culture of the workplace.​

​

Prior to joining Canary Wharf Group, Alastair spent 9 years with Hamptons International and Countrywide, where he worked across various residential led roles in London and Asia. His final role at Countrywide was working on the delivery of two BtR assets in the North-west; The Cargo Building in Liverpool and Pomona Wharf in Manchester.

How did Tomb Raider take the world by storm?

Jeremy described himself as the person who simply gave the green light to the Tomb Raider phenomenon. He draws a comparison to the creation of Mickey Mouse, suggesting that while Walt Disney gets the recognition, the actual creator might have been someone working under him. 

He highlights Toby Gard as the mind behind Tomb Raider’s creation, initially conceiving the character as male but reshaping it into Lara Croft to avoid legal issues with Indiana Jones. Reflecting on those times, Jeremy acknowledges the decision to embrace a female protagonist in a predominantly male gaming world as a bold move. 

Throughout the process, Toby and the team were responsible for the entire creation, while Jeremy’s role was to guide them in the right direction. 
 

Reinventing Build to Rent technology with Spike Global…

Jeremy describes Spike as a central hub within a residential complex – a resident portal that encompasses all essential amenities for those living in these wonderful build-to-rent schemes. This portal allows residents to access various services within the building, from communicating with the concierge to booking gym sessions of meeting rooms – essentially catering to all their needs. 

However, the question arises: what’s in it for the managing agent? 

The real advantage lies in facilitating communication between the managing agents and their tenants. Spike excels in this aspect. It addresses the primary challenge in Build to Rent, which is effective communication. Enabling tenants to reach out to the building managers easily and efficiently, significantly boosts satisfaction levels all around. 

Freehold now has 1300 members and arranges professional and networking events, mentoring and charitable activities. Freehold won ‘Outstanding Contribution to Property’ in the EG Awards 2018.

What do we mean by a glass ceiling?

Susan Gregory shares that the more she has reflected on her own journey and educated herself the more she questions – is it something we’ve constructed that isn’t true?

In general, the ‘glass ceiling’ refers to the limit that is set for women with how high women can go within an organisation, above that it’s very difficult to break through. If someone wants to get into those senior positions, you either can’t or have to change who you are to be accepted into the C-suite leadership positions.

The second part to this is the idea of career ladders, and wanting to get to the top, which is something Susan now challenges quite vocally. There are a couple of women that have written podcasts on squiggly careers, and Susan explains that this is what her career looks like. She has worked in places for between 18 months - 2 years and in some of those she has hit a glass ceiling, but in others, on reflection, she admits she had added all of the value she could and outgrown the business, and that has to be okay to some degree as well.

 

 Should we dismiss the word ceiling?

It conjures up an idea of a linear trajectory and Ellie Reese illustrates that historically and traditionally women tend to take on a large share of the childcare and the responsibilities in the domestic sphere. It has suited men to have a more linear trajectory in a career as it’s a case of climbing up and tends to be simpler. Whereas the natural breaks for women, tend to be there.

Listen to the full podcast to learn more…

Key takeaways from the UK BTR market…

Christian shared that his journey to Australian BTR took him to the UK between 2007 and 2012, where he immersed himself in the world of urban renewal, and quickly discovered that the UK was at the forefront of innovation in this field. 

One of the notable experiences involved active involvement in projects within the Stratford area, a place that held significance during the 2012 Olympics. Christian shared that one specific project that left a lasting impression on him Coppermaker Square, a key part of the Westfield Stratford development, which was completed in 2008, prior to the rise of the Build to Rent market. It was here that Christian had a front-row seat to observe how these urban precincts took shape and evolved through the process of urban renewal. Remarkably, during Christian's time in the UK, the concept of BTR had yet to fully emerge and establish itself as it is today.

Christian’s experience during that time provided him with a unique perspective on urban development and renewal, which would later prove invaluable in shaping HOME’s progressive approach to BTR and sustainability. He understood the power of urban renewal in areas like Stratford, Croydon and even Wembley, and how they benefited the community, especially in terms of housing supply to the area. 

 

Integrating sustainability practices into HOME communities…

In the realm of sustainability, HOME is making impressive strides, demonstrating its commitment to progressiveness. Christian revealed that their inspiration to embrace sustainability practices stemmed from interactions with UK Build to Rent groups during Australian conferences several years ago. 

These forward-thinking BTR groups, upon reflecting on their journey, candidly admitted that as they neared completion of their initial assets, they wished they had pushed the boundaries a bit further on their sustainability targets as the landscape of expectations had moved under their feet. 

Fast-forward to today, all of HOME’s buildings are now 5-star green or equivalent, and Christian and the entire team are setting their sights on achieving net-zero carbon emissions in all aspects of operations, including across management. HOME also does a lot of work with its residents, creating an education programme which generates opportunities for them to live sustainably wherever they can. 

At the age of 15, Jamie launched a career in estate agency, chasing the ‘suit and tie’ lifestyle was his definition of success. After facing the worst financial credit crunch in a hundred years, Jamie applied for the first season on the Apprentice and appeared on the show just a few months later, starring as one of the first professionals to stand alongside Sir Alan Sugar’s hit TV show. At the age of 31, Jamie launched his own estate agency which almost instantly revolutionised the traditional estate agency model; no ties, no clipboards, no desks, no water coolers. Haus Properties was born. Jamie is now recognised for his highly innovative approach to property sales and marketing and his expert use of social media.

This episode lifts the lid on one of the fastest selling developments in London and exposes what it’s really like to be a contestant on The Apprentice.

To find out how Jamie Lester Consultancy can support you and your business, visit the website here. Driven by a desire to make the new homes recruitment process as hassle free as possible for our clients and candidates, deverellsmith provide a 360-degree new homes recruitment and career service, supplying sales and marketing, administrative, after-care and completions staff to industry leading developer and consultancies. Speak with Georgia Zambakides to learn more – Georgia.zambakides@deverellsmith.com.

Join Hannah Taylor, Manager of Investment and Finance, as she speaks with Sarah on her early career advice to life as CEO, how others can be part of The Land Collective’s movement and why it’s important to make the property industry accessible to an expansive audience.

 

12th of February 2021 will see the celebration of Chinese New Year like no other. Celebrations are likely to be restricted and removed off the streets and onto our screens. To follow suit, we have invited Max Alliance Property Founders, Yolanda He, Reese Ye and Sharon Liu, into the virtual studio to talk about what they know best, Chinese investment across the capital and UK.

From Romania to Real Estate

Adina shares she was born in Romania and moved over to America when she was just 10 years old. Bouncing around Europe and the US growing up, she landed herself a career in real estate with Knight Frank in 2010 in commercial brokerage. Loving it immediately, she found an inspiring mentor within her first boss, who ignited her passion for the market that they were building, which was the prime office market in Romania.

Determining this was the career for her, but maybe not the location, Adina returned to New York in 2012 landing herself a place in the esteemed NYU graduate programme in real estate finance. Whilst accomplishing this, she happened to find herself a role within the emerging market of multi-family/Build to Rent. Missing the sex appeal of the commercial real estate and Europe she moved back to London to join Greystar.

Adina worked on enviable development acquisitions, such as the Ten Degrees project, which is the world’s tallest modular building located in East Croydon. Adina shares she is now getting back into the more diversified rental living space with MGT, across the spectrum from urban to suburban. She has remained committed to the rental living space after stumbling into it a few years back and is driving a focus on the middle-income earners, driving affordability for that renter profile.​

The origin of Ladies in Real Estate

​Beginning as a humble brunch club with friends from grad school, Adina reveals the idea for Ladies in Real Estate derived from wanting a place to build personal relationships with other women in the industry. A place to exchange views, talk about the market and ultimately making friends in an informal and easy environment.​

In wanting to make this a regular occurrence, Ladies in Real Estate was born, and Adina bought the concept across the Atlantic to London. Adina discloses that she had to adjust to the market, as brunch wasn’t proving too popular, and that’s where the breakfasts entered the picture.

It must be 50/50…

Adina openly shared that when you looked around in her early career, she struggled to find senior or junior women to form personal relationships with. She noticed it to be easier for men to attain this within the industry. Realising that with creating gender equality, men needed to be bought into the conversation to avoid creating resentment from those that should be allies. The 50/50 breakfasts aim to show just what a balanced room should look and feel like and normalise that feeling within the property sector.

Barum discusses what he thinks good learning is, how learning has evolved to bite-sized learning and how the leadership team at deverellsmith has a responsive approach to their employee development. 

 

 

 

The steppingstones to success

After dropping out of her history degree at 18 because it wasn’t the right fit, Fiona landed herself a job at Dublin City Corporation as an office administrator. She was handed two envelopes to decide which division she would sit in, and she picked the housing department over vehicle taxation which could have taken her down a very different career path.  

She shares the culture shock she experienced from living in a small town in Ireland, adapting to working in Dublin, and realising that housing was an actual reality. She had never seen flats where she lived, and then suddenly she was looking after Dublin’s only high-rise building at that time.

Widening her career

The Dublin City Corporation gave her a career break, and she took the opportunity to go travelling. She landed in London and fell in love with the city. She shares it was so different to Dublin in the late 80s. She adored the diversity and energy of London and found her next career step in a small housing association, working on a lot of local authority projects.

 In the back of her head was always the desire to finish her university education so she headed to Newcastle university where she studied surveying. This widened her housing career where she branched out into working on assets and development appraisals. She shares she spent the next 30 years working within the public sector. 

Housing is a fundamental piece of the property sector

Fiona explains the value of housing and how our lives start with a safe and secure home. Somewhere free of disrepair, dampness, and mould and somewhere your family feels safe. Even down to having a productive education where you aren’t moving all the time due to temporary accommodation, and you have the space to do your homework. It’s such a fundamental part of what we do, as well as being an incredible asset that has value, especially in a place like London. 

 

 

By her will to take risks, make mistakes, flex, adapt and gain for the organisation; Geeta is a natural leader with an ability to provide change through hardship. She offers valuable advice on how she earned her position today.

During the pandemic, Geeta has played a crucial role in supporting at risk groups in the capital with housing needs. 

Covid-19 has brought confusion, but is it the crisis housing associations needed for an environmentally focused future? Will the future provide homes for heroes? And what is the key to Geeta’s success?

It can’t be down to luck… Listen to the podcast here.

Black Lives Matter movement as well as Pride form a symbiotic relationship because of the Stonewall riots. It’s clear that now, more than ever, the industry must come together to create a more inclusive workforce and empower those who fall into  minority groups.

 

More on the speakers:

Patrick Franco is Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director of the Company. He joined Foxtons as chief operating officer in 2015 and has since been responsible for key elements of the Company's operations. He is also executive sponsor of the Foxtons LGBTQ+ network. Prior to Foxtons, Patrick was chief operating officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management UK. He also serves as a trustee of Global Heritage Fund.

 

Dom Scott joined Foxtons in 2004, where he cultivated a reputation for successfully managing a variety of teams and projects before progressing in 2012 to become the youngest director within the Foxtons group. Three years later he was promoted to the role of Managing Director of Alexander Hall, where he is now directly responsible for running all areas of a directly authorised regulated business.

As an industry leader he enjoys working with a social mobility charity that helps young people acquire the skills they need to further their careers; works as an ally to the ‘Foxtons LGBTQ+’  and ‘Women@Foxtons’ networks; and is also a member of the ‘Women’s Executive Finance Forum’. He plays an active role in mentoring people from all backgrounds and is the co-founder of the ‘Afro Foxtons network’, which actively works to help its members share stories, develop skills and become stronger candidates for future opportunities.

How did the ‘Dear Sirs’ campaign begin?

Ellie explains the phrase “Dear Sirs” remains prevalent within the context of Estate Agency and conveyance, particularly within legal and property professions. This traditional salutation continues to serve as the default choice for initiating formal communication, whether in the form of a letter or an email directed towards a company or a collective group of individuals. 

Ellie recounts her initial experiences upon entering the Estate Agency industry, coming across her first ‘Dear Sirs’ salutation. She comments that she found it strange that her gender was clearly not accounted for, and they must have not realised she was a woman. 

Her curiosity in the matter led her to quickly learn that this was embedded into our history, and when asked politely to not be addressed as ‘Sir’ she was met by the argument that this is the way it has always been done and is a legal default.

 

What is the aim of the ‘Dear Sirs’ campaign?

The above experience prompted Ellie to delve further into linguistic conventions, and how she could advocate for inclusivity in professional interactions. 

Ellie developed the formal ‘Dear Sirs’ campaign, which gained traction from leaders within the industry, as well as the press. She started to write about her experience and now the campaign is working towards eradicating Dear Sirs and other non-inclusive language within the industry. 

In addition, Ellie expressed that the ‘Dear Sirs’ campaign is a hook for a much broader cultural attitude that is very male-dominant within the industry and is an umbrella for other conversations to be had regarding inclusivity. 

With 30 years’ experience in hospitality, Smith has previously held positions at De Vere and Marriott. As brand and operations director at De Vere, he oversaw the community engagement programmes for the portfolio of 22 De Vere hotels and conference centres in the UK.

Is your business seeking expansion and growth? Listen now for an expert’s insight on how.

Before founding MHBC, Antonia worked for 32 years at Mellersh and Harding, entering as a surveyor and working her way up to equity partner. Whilst that is impressive, it is during her time here that Antonia found her voice and strength to bravely transition in a heavily heteronormative industry.

Antony has been a heavy hitter in the Proptech game since 1995. Before then, an art dealer with a flair. He consults and works with real estate boards on Transformation, Technology and Innovation. CBRE, Fifth Wall Ventures and RICS are just some of the names he worked with in 2019. 

He speaks on what to expect from a post-covid world; inevitably a re-evaluation on the purpose of an office and what functions catalyse human skills. 

Evolution is key for competitor advantage, broad and deep knowledge is a necessity, skills and a creative outlook are foremost and don’t disregard artificial intelligence. 

Will robots take over? Prepare for a gripping listen on the power of PropTech.

Learn what’s trending, building and motivating regional development in this episode of #devcast…

.

Ellen Prenderville is Director, BTR Consultancy – Ireland at LIV Consult, a leading specialist Build to Rent consultancy. Internationally, LIV Consult is currently advising on over £8bn GDV, 35,000+ Build to Rent (Multifamily) units on the most iconic city centre developments, commuter belt town centre schemes and regeneration masterplans. Ellen’s team advises on development consultancy, market analysis, operational strategy, project delivery, feasibility studies, viability, lifecycle modelling, branding and much more. She work with a significant network of like-minded consultants, funders, developers and designers.”

Life before Winkworth 

In the exciting journey of Dominic’s career, he shared his initial steps were taken as a politics student at Newcastly University. It was here that he questioned where his degree in politics could take him. With curiosity, he ventured into diverse fields such as financial public relations and risk analysis. However, it was only a matter of time before his path led him to a new and intriguing domain.

Dominic’s turning point came when he found himself drawn to the world of real estate with Winkworth. This was the place where he planted his feet and embark on a journey that would shape his career. He found the passion within his career in this family business and believed it was somewhere he could make a real impact.

What does the future hold for Winkworth? 

It’s clear that Dominic has a distinct vision for its future. His primary goal is to maintain a multifaceted approach to the business, constantly evolving and exploring new avenues.

Key objectives include not only generating new business areas but also nurturing a robust network, preserving market share, and positioning the company as one of the top three operators in its domain. Moreover, diversification remains a crucial aspect of their strategy.

A significant move was their launch into the commercial sector last year and this year, they’ve set their sights on venturing into the New Homes market. This expansion demonstrates their commitment to adapt and grow in an ever-changing business landscape. 

What advice would you give aspiring property leaders? 

Dominic insights that in the realm of business, the most valuable piece of advice one can receive is also the simplest: work hard. The individual who puts in the most effort in any room often emerges as the most successful. While the business landscape may seem intricate, at its core, it’s a straightforward principle – hard work pays off. The more you invest in it, the greater the rewards waiting at the other end of the journey. 

He suggested to maintain the hard work, it’s important to surround yourself with environments that keep you motivated. Remember in the world of business, hard work and the right motivating environments are you key to unlocking exceptional results. 

Grace joined Savills in 1984 and 2 years later he opened the Savills Dockland office. Since then, he has partnered with a myriad of developers and landowners providing specialised advice on every aspect of the development process.

When people ask Grace about his career, he asserts that “so much luck has been involved, but the luckiest break of all was Savills which came from knocking on the door. I joined the firm at the most fantastic time and it's still on one hell of a ride now.”