People Property Place

Episode 122 — Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB In this episode of People Property Place, we sit down with Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, to unpack how he rose from a family joinery workshop in rural Ireland to leading one of the UK’s most forward-thinking development firms. We dive deep into: The evolution of Build-to-Rent (BTR) in the UK HUB’s strategy behind converting “stranded assets” into thriving co-living spaces Navigating development in today’s challenging economic climate How architecture, business acumen, and grit shaped Damien’s path to the top The DNA of a future-ready development team Whether you’re a property developer, architect, investor, or just curious about the real workings of urban regeneration and institutional residential, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration.   Key Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Damien’s early influences 05:00 – From architecture to real estate 12:30 – Breaking into BTR 20:45 – The co-living shift 32:00 – Managing risk in uncertain markets 40:15 – Building high-performance development teams 48:00 – HUB’s “People, Planet, Progress” framework 54:30 – Advice for future developers   Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Damien would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. Subscribe for more episodes on real estate, development, and the leaders shaping the built environment. #BuildToRent #RealEstateDevelopment #PropertyPodcast #UrbanRegeneration #CoLiving #HUBLondon #PeoplePropertyPlace

​​Carlo Matta is the CEO of Nido Living, a leading European student accommodation platform, where he drives growth and oversees delivery across the portfolio. He previously led CA Ventures’ pan-European PBSA business, managing development, acquisitions, and operations and has held roles at Actis, Hines Europe, and he brings over 25 years of international real estate experience across Europe, the US, and emerging markets. Carlo is a qualified architect and holds degrees from Politecnico di Torino and the University of Texas at Austin. I sat down with Carlo, to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: How he got into real estate and his early life + perspectives Formative, early career moves & the transition from architecture to developer Returning to university at 34 years old – taking a step back, to leap forward Staying curious and building team cultures focused on fun and learning Exploring the drivers that influence product design & amenity level within an asset Matching return expectations to risk Building a top-tier, international team Creating, not waiting for opportunity and the importance of standing out Having the courage to know when to pivot, and change tact Nido – and the road to 25,000 beds by 2031.   Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Carlo would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #privateequity #property  

Simon Cooke is a founding shareholder and board member of Catella APAM, with over 40 years of experience in UK commercial real estate. He co-founded APAM in 2009 and he chairs the Investment Committee and shapes strategy, asset management, and client relationships. Simon recently launched the firm’s first listed equities fund, securing £102.2 million to target undervalued UK-listed property companies. His background includes senior roles at Deutsche Asset Management, Close Brothers’ and CBRE giving him deep insight into both public and private markets. I sat down with Simon, to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: ·   Early career steps, Rugby and what drew him into a career in real estate ·   The story behind the name "APAM" ·   The value of focusing on your strengths and staying in your lane ·   Starting APAM by capitalising on distressed and receivership opportunities during the GFC ·   Evolving the model to partner with international private equity, by providing asset-level expertise ·   How he and Will built, scaled, and reasons for part exiting to Catella ·   Structuring JV’s with partners, and aligning incentives ·   Choosing the right opportunities over chasing sector trends ·   Balancing personal circumstances with professional ambitions ·   Why now is the right moment to launch a UK equity fund Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Simon would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #privateequity #property #assetmanager

Michael Kovacs, Founding Partner at Castleforge, shares insights from his journey as a real estate investor. The conversation kicks off with a quirky story about how getting stuck in a lift spurred his entrepreneurial spirit. He discusses the evolution of the office market post-COVID, highlighting the shift in tenant preferences and the importance of quality locations. Kovacs also addresses the fundraising challenges for Castleforge's fourth fund and explores opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, revealing key shifts in investor sentiment.

Piers Slater is the Founder & CEO of Reef Origin with over two decades of experience building and scaling real estate platforms. After founding Reef Estates in 2001 (trading as Reef Group from 2017), he grew the business to over £2bn under development management. In 2024, he co-founded Reef Origin, focusing on sectors at the intersection of real assets and innovation - life sciences, Industry 4.0, digital, energy infrastructure, and venture capital - with a completed portfolio value exceeding £20bn under development management. Piers holds a BSc in Estate Management and an MSc in Property Investment Finance, and is a Chartered Surveyor. He is also a founding investor and board director of Global Space Futures, Perpetual Atomics, and Xange.com, and sits on the boards of Didcot First and the Stevenage Development Board. I sat down with Piers to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics:   • Early career moves and how he got into real estate • Borrowing £50,000 from his father-in-law to set up Reef Origin • Building Reef Estates with a bucket load of naïve optimism, entrepreneurial spirit, and creativity • Transitioning the business from Reef Estates to Reef Origin – why, how & future ambitions • Owning the whole value chain & the strategic reasoning behind vertically integrating the business • Circular economy, climate, digital infrastructure, automation, AI & ML • Perspective on the current economic and political landscape - Is the UK economy anti-growth? • Diversification, international expansion, and current opportunity set • Decarbonisation, industrial strategy, and the role of nuclear energy as an economic driver • Future-proofing the built environment and reimagining real estate • Reef’s £100bn enterprise value ambition  Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Piers would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW!   The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. See below a snap shot of some of the projects the team have completed: Built a full development team from scratch for an international developer launching a new platform in the UK.      Completed a search for a COO/MD succession role, the most critical hire for a founder preparing for retirement within the next five years. Successfully placed seven professionals across finance, development, and investment for a well-capitalised, active value investor.     Successfully placed our 8th team member into a 12-person challenger brand - now that's a true partnership in action!   Assembled a three-person investment team for an active residential investor and developer.    Recruited a Head of Financial Modelling for a top investor/developer to enhance modelling, reporting, and decision-making to aid capital raising & deployment efforts.   Struggling to hire top talent? Think there’s a better way? Get in touch to see if we can help. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate

This week we're taking you back for a re-cap on the Ian Marcus episode because it was that good. If you missed it the first time, here's your chance to catchup!   Ian Marcus OBE – Senior Adviser, Eastdil Secured Ian is a graduate of the University of Cambridge having studied Land Economy. Since then, he has held roles at Bank of America, UBS, NatWest, Deutsche and Credit Suisse. He currently sits on the board of 12 companies – everyone from Eastdill Secured, Elysian Residences, Town Centre Securities PLC, Work.life, Shurguard Self-Storage along with a number of others outside the real estate world. I sat down with Ian to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How he got into real estate * People, People, People * Network & relationships * Risk aversion * Job selection criteria * Capital structures * Balancing 12 jobs! * Opportunities in the market * Favourite deals * Real estate heroes Oh, and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Ian would invest should he have £500m of equity at his disposal. Catch the full episode which will be live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube from Thursday this week. The People Property Place Podcast? is powered by Rockbourne. Who do you want to see on the Podcast? Link in the comments below #podcast #realestate #property #peoplepropertyplace

Jonathan Ivory is the Chief Investment Officer at Packaged Living where he leads on investment across all strategies. Jonathon is a member of The British Property Federation Build to Rent Sub-Committee, The Urban Land Institute Residential Council, Commercial Real Estate Finance Council Europe, Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government Build to Rent Committee and a director of The UK Apartment Association.   I sat down with Jonathan to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * Early career moves, muesing & reflections * The birth of the UK institutional PRS/BTR market * How Jonathan, alongside Ed and Mark, launched Packaged Living * Subsectors and product types - multifamily, single-family, and garden-style homes * Business model changes & need to be vertically integrated * The biggest challenges and 3 ideas for Rachel Reeves * Exclusive news… find out first about Packaged Living international expansion plans! Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Jonathan would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW!   If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like: Rod Lochart - CEO LendInvest - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xB8F2GNUAky7GMIZRlXGn?si=pLDlzSlARTqfyC-fFgvzDw Ian Marcus - Senior Advisor Eastdill Secured - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4vHMFEIMe8xLmSJ0iA0LhH?si=e4828de1173f42da James Lock - Founder Rotation Real Estate - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fnRxXZzdrNvWgQhm7enHC?si=dn0EezvjTm6phgzbMrMamQ Catherine Webster - CEO Thriving Investments - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6PRFdiSZh15qSugpDV3WXk?si=pJkA11ioQ3eH39aA683Sog Richard Croft - Founder Martley Capital - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3RBihWA63enwyaMLlumPE1?si=e1e4d13a35324e79 The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. See below a snap shot of some of the projects the team have completed:   * Built a full development team from scratch for an international developer launching a new platform in the UK. * Completed a search for a COO/MD succession role, the most critical hire for a founder preparing for retirement within the next five years. *  Successfully placed six professionals across finance, development, and investment for a well-capitalised, active value investor. * Successfully placed our 8th team member into a 12-person challenger brand - now that's a true partnership in action! * Assembled a three-person investment team for an active residential investor and developer. * Recruited a Head of Financial Modelling for a top investor/developer to enhance modelling, reporting, and decision-making to aid capital raising & deployment efforts.   Struggling to hire top talent? Think there’s a better way? Get in touch to see if we can help. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate

Peter Clayton leads Property Finance at Leumi UK, bringing nearly 20 years of real estate finance experience. Since joining in 2021, he has worked across all property sectors with a range of borrowers, from entrepreneurs to institutional investors and has dramatically expanded the firm's lending book, team size and capability. Previously, Peter held senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group and Santander UK. A Durham University Geography graduate, he started his career in the wine industry before transitioning to the real estate space. I sat down with Peter to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: Early career moves, reasons and learnings The role of clearing banks and their function and relevance in property finance. Understanding the cost of capitals impact on real estate finance and investment decisions. How Peter and the team have driven significant growth since joining Leumi Leumi’s USP – In an increasingly noisy market, how Leumi stand out The use of debt brokers and how they add value in structuring deals. Underwriting assets & sponsors - assessing credibility, business plans, and long-term viability. Why overlooked sectors like retail can still present strong opportunities for contrarian investors Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Peter would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode which will is live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW! If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Rod Lochart - CEO LendInvest Ian Marcus - Senior Advisor Eastdill Secured James Lock - Founder Rotation Real Estate Catherine Webster - CEO Thriving Investments Richard Croft - Founder Martley Capital The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. See below a snap shot of some of the projects the team have completed:   Built a full development team from scratch for an international developer launching a new platform in the UK. Completed a search for a COO/MD succession role, the most critical hire for a founder preparing for retirement within the next five years. Successfully placed six professionals across finance, development, and investment for a well-capitalised, active value investor. Successfully placed our 8th team member into a 12-person challenger brand - now that's a true partnership in action! Assembled a three-person investment team for an active residential investor and developer. Recruited a Head of Financial Modelling for a top investor/developer to enhance modelling, reporting, and decision-making to aid capital raising & deployment efforts.   Struggling to hire top talent? Think there’s a better way? Get in touch to see if we can help. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate   

James Scott is the Co Founder and COO of Stories, a purpose-led property development company that partners with landowners to deliver long-term social, economic and environmental outcomes. James' role is focused on product, strategy and marketing alongside the operational side of the business. ​He is an Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge where he read mechanical engineering and he is a member of the UKGBC's Social Value task force. I sat down with James to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics:   ·   How he got into real estate ·   The high’s, lows, and lessons learned along the way ·   The biggest challenge right now ·   Stories Business model: Principal Developer, Development Manager, Strategic Advisory ·   What is true alignment with capital partners, developer, and asset owner ·   Creating a financially sustainable and viable business ·   Maximizing economic, social, and environmental impact for all stakeholders ·   Measuring success through the triple bottom line: economic, social, and environmental impact ·   Advice for those earlier in their journey ·   The future of Stories and what’s next   Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place James would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal.   Catch the full episode which will be live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple NOW!   The People Property Place Podcast 🎙 powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers.   Who do you want to see on the Podcast? #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate  

Chris Hunt, Co-Founder of V7 joins me on the People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ this week for a rerun. Chris is hilarious, and his passion for the business, team, work and clients really shines through in this conversation. I sat down with Chris back in 2023, and this episode was the first released on video, so go check it out on Youtube! V7 is a creative and forward-thinking asset and development management company, passionate about transforming mismanaged office buildings or sites into dynamic, highly sustainable service-led workspaces. Working with partners including institutional funds, family offices, private equity, and individual investors V7 add value to buildings by repositioning them in line with the very latest workplace trends and ESG credentials. Chris set the business up in 2015 alongside his co-founder Zak Veasey having worked at Cushman & Wakefield and Legal & General Investment Management. Chris is responsible for development management and investment day to day, and then V7’s business strategy, new concepts, marketing and growth. I sat down with Chris to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: How he got into Real Estate Recto fit Carbon offsetting Building Certification Business model evolution "Fight to quality" and "Hotelification of Offices" Strengths-based leadership Oh, and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Chris would invest should he have £500m of equity at his disposal? Catch the full episode which will be live on Spotify and Apple from Thursday this week. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne. Who do you want to see on the Podcast? Normal service on the pod will resume shortly (subject to no diary changes!)