What is your background?

I’ve been married for over 40 years, and have two sons and five grandchildren. My hobbies include gardening, reading and listening to music.

I was privately educated from the age of 11 and wasn’t a great student. I preferred talking to listening, and having a social life to homework. My father was a publican and he decided that I should have a career in catering. But having started in hotel management, I did three years working a 60-hour week for £2.10p, and so decided this was not the career for me.

I held three or four sales-orientated positions, until in 1973 an opportunity arose to turn my hobby of music into a career.

I turned professional, playing drums, and remained in the industry until the beginning of 1985 when injury led to my retirement. My wife and I then moved to Spain where we already owned property, and spent the first year renovating and restoring our new home.

Over these early months a firm relationship was established with our Spanish builder and several other property professionals.

At first I was invited on a casual basis to assist in translation between local builders and their British clients, but by the end of our first year it seemed quite natural to become a local property agent myself, specialising in country property. I entered into a partnership with a coastal agent.

I sold my share of the business in November 1990 and returned to the UK. It seemed obvious on my return to London that I should pursue a career in property.

I joined a firm in Islington dealing solely with lettings. I was given a desk, a phone, a list of properties, and a bunch of cards with prospective tenants’ names and numbers on. No computers, no mobiles, no email.

 Would you still go into agency today?

Most certainly: our sector continues to grow, and diversify. A career path into lettings for those like me who did not go to university, and for those who did, is a key part of our future growth as an association and in creating the professional letting industry the UK consumer has a right to expect.

What is your current role, and how will you fit this around your Presidency?

I have two roles currently. I work in a consultancy role for an Essex-based letting and property management company, with my friend and colleague Sarah Holdsworth. The second is as chairman of Simplify Estate Management, a small-block management firm. In terms of fitting this around my Presidency, I am fortunate to have the blessing and support of Sarah, my business partner Gavin Maitland-Smith, and of course my wife Maggie.

What do you hope to achieve in your year and how do you plan to achieve it?

Nik Madan (President Elect) and I call it the 3 Cs. Corporate Engagement; meeting with the major players in our industry currently not in membership, to find common ground and mutual benefit. Cradle to grave campaign, by giving a consistent and coherent message to the industry of what all divisions of NFoPP offer their members, and one that is central to our industry-led marketing, with education as its core. Finally, Consumer Engagement, concentrating on digital marketing and social media.

Who is your property hero and why?

ARLA co-founder John Birch, who inspired me to follow the ARLA path, and gave me good counsel and advice at the outset of my lettings career.

What do you think about all the consolidation going on in the sector at the moment? 

I view this as very much a part of the modern world of business. However, the vast majority of ARLA members are independent companies, from one-man bands to multiple offices, and there is ample room for both in our sector. I also note in many cases the original brand names are retained after takeover.

Where do you stand on the great portals debate?

I have been a supporter and advocate of OTM since the outset. It’s important to have innovation and competition in any market and more choice for customers can only be a good thing. As with any sector, if just one or two providers hold all the influence it’s not in the interest of consumers.

What is your view of online agents?

On a very personal basis, I don’t believe as a consumer I would use one, but that is not to say that there isn’t a place in the market for them. We have online agents as members and clearly there are consumers that prefer the direct route. It’s all about choice.

It seems that reputational management is one of the biggest issues facing the industry. What ideas do you have to address this?

The one sure way to improve matters is the introduction of full regulation.

The subject of fees charged to tenants and mark-ups to landlords has also made headlines and everyone seems to think the Foxtons case will prove interesting.

My view and that of ARLA remains entirely consistent: fees should be open and transparent.

Letting agents scarpering into the sunset with client money is yet another problem.

For many years I assisted Trading Standards in Tower Hamlets on many such cases. The requirement under the Consumer Rights Act for an agent to state if they carry Client Money Protection, and via which provider, is a further vital step in the protection of the consumer, and any non-disclosure would be grounds for prosecution.

CMP should be compulsory, with a national database available to list who has cover and with whom – similar to Gas Safe, for example. My other concern is that of policing the new regulations. Trading Standards departments up and down the country often do not have the resources to regulate the huge spectrum of issues they are required to cover.

In a year’s time, what legacy would you like to have left behind?

That’s rather a tough one. I did chair the committee on ARLA licensing which had always been something of “an elephant in the room” to a successful conclusion, but that was some time ago.

I guess I would like to have added yet further lasting benefits to our membership, and as someone who has opened the door even wider to a career path in lettings to the aspirational youth of today.

With Nik Madan and Sally Lawson to follow, and David Cox as ARLA MD, I will be happy to leave matters in their very capable and far younger hands!