In this week's Bricks & Mortar, EG's Sarah Jackman starts a new career development trilogy, with ex-finance lawyer and former managing partner of Brecher, Nicky Richmond. First up is networking: what it means, how to do it effectively - both in person and online - and how to approach it if you're an introvert.  Richmond draws on her own experience of networking, explains why advance preparation can be helpful and provides her top tips for getting started. She also explains what her networking acronym "APURR" means and why it's key in maintaining a strong network.    

EG's senior writer and former housing minister Mark Prisk are back for another episode of the property and politics podcast.  What will be the impact of this month's local elections on development? Is Labour a dead-cert to form the next government, or is some form of coalition more likely? And what policies can we expect either way? And, vitally, is this government running out of time to pass crucial legislation before the nation goes to the polls once more?

Jess Harrold is joined by deputy editor Tim Burke and offices reporter Chanté Bohitige for the latest weekly round-up. Burke surveys the deals market and finds little optimism out there for the rest of 2023 - but, between him and Bohitige, they find some players who do have plans to shout about, including flex office provider Clockwise and developer Art-Invest. Plus, Burke has details on this year's EG Awards - find out more and enter at: https://www.eg.co.uk/eg-events/eg-awards-2023/ And be sure out the ever-evolving EG Like Sunday Morning: Certified Bangers playlist at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

This week’s episode of Bricks & Mortar sees EG’s Sarah Jackman discuss job sharing with Shoosmiths partners Lisa Tye and Kathryn Jump, who, together, run the firm’s planning department. The pair attribute their success to their job share, which has been running for 15 years and has seen them move job as a pair three times. They discuss the motivation behind their job share, how it has evolved over the years and why, despite the post-pandemic move towards flexible working, job sharing remains underutilised. They walk listeners through the benefits, dispel the perceived negatives and suggest how anyone interested in pursuing job sharing might go about approaching it.

Jess Harrold is joined by news editor Pui-Guan Man and offices reporter Chanté Bohitige for the latest weekly round-up. Bohitige offers an update on plans for a £5bn revamp of London's Fleet Street, set to take shape over the next five years. Man tackles Hammerson's sale of its 50% stake in a major redevelopment site in Croydon, south London, to its joint venture partner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, after more than a decade in which the scheme never got off the ground. And, for your bank holiday listening pleasure, Bohitige adds a chilled-out track to the EG Like Sunday Morning: Certified Bangers playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ  

Jess Harrold is joined by senior writer Julia Cahill and residential reporter Akanksha Soni for the latest weekly round-up. Soni shares insights from her EG Interview with Socius Development, including their approach to mixed use, views on the future of the office, and integrating life sciences into schemes. She also offers an update on land values across various sectors. Cahill addresses Landsec's plans for its £20m Landsec Futures fund, including internships, student bursaries and data collection aimed at improving socio-economic diversity. Plus, the joy of the "walking office" - and be sure to share your views in EG's fifth annual LGBTQ+ Attitudes and Actions in Real Estate Survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/EGLGBTQ23          

EG's Sarah Jackman is joined on this latest episode of Bricks & Mortar by Fiona Lomas-Holt, associate director in sustainability at planning consultant Turley for a look at the firm's employee ownership model and the benefits it brings to the business, not just from a financial and corporate governance perspective but in terms of securing and retaining talent and creating an inclusive workplace.

Long Harbour has set out plans to build a 5,000-home rental single-family housing platform in the next five years, with a total GDV of more than £1.5bn. Speaking exclusively to EG's residential reporter Akanksha Soni, Jack Spearman, head of Long Harbour’s single-family housing platform, says the developer has plans to acquire and build more than 1,000 homes a year for its portfolio, which will be operated by its property management brand Way of Life. Sowgol Zarinchang, managing director of Way of Life, also tells EG how she plans to operate the new platform - and the lessons learnt from multifamily.

Jess Harrold is joined by deputy editor Tim Burke and offices reporter Chanté Bohitige for the latest weekly round-up. Bohitige tackles an all-time high for London office move deals, and how a trend for downsizing has played its part in that. Burke shares what ex-Schroders boss and Sellar chair Duncan Owen has to say about dark green leases in this week's EG Interview, and shares Sam McClary's insights into the gender pay gap - and what real estate can learn on that front from Lego. But best of all, the two devoted hip-hop heads add the first tracks to the EG Like Sunday Morning: Certified Bangers Spotify playlist, here to enliven your Sunday afternoons - with more songs to follow each time they appear on EGLSM. Get in on the ground floor at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

Forget thinking about a “green premium” for your top-tier ESG-focused office, says ex-Schroders boss Duncan Owen – the difference between the best and the rest is now a “chasm”. As he took the chair at Sellar, Owen sat down with EG deputy editor Tim Burke at MIPIM for a 40-minute conversation talk about dark green developments, office repricing and the value of making mistakes.