People Property Place

Sue Clayton - Senior Independent Advisor & Non Exec How do you stay at the top of your game across four decades in commercial real estate? In this episode, I sit down with Sue Clayton, former Managing Director of Capital Markets at CBRE, board member, investor, adviser, and Co-Founder of Real Estate Balance - to break down a career built on trust, consistency, and integrity. We cover how Sue rose through the ranks in a male-dominated industry, her approach to building long-term client relationships, and how she transitioned into a successful portfolio career after leaving CBRE. Sue shares what it was like advising on billions of pounds of transactions, her board experience with companies like SEGRO, Blue Coast Capital and Helical, and why she’s passionate about driving greater inclusion across the industry. If you care about leadership, longevity, and building trust this episode is for you. Key Topics Covered In This Episode: * A 40-Year Career In Commercial Real Estate – From graduate at Richard Ellis to international CBRE board member. * Building Trust in Brokerage – How she built a reputation through discretion, detail, and doing the right thing. * Building CBRE Capital Markets – What it took to lead during mergers, acquisitions, and global expansion. * Leadership Lessons – How to manage people, politics, and priorities Why saying “no” to a deal can build more credibility than chasing fees. * Transitioning to Board Roles – The skills and mindset shift needed to go from operator to advisor. * What makes an effective Non-Exec in today’s market. * Supporting the Next Generation – The story behind Real Estate Balance and Pathways to Property. Oh, and one last thing… In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal? Don’t miss Sue’s answer - especially if you’re interested in long-term value and social impact. Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re enjoying the show, hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. The People Property Place Podcast is powered by Rockbourne – Recruiting Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #realestate #property #nonexec #advisory

Alastair Mullens is Managing Director - Residential at Canary Wharf Group. He joined the business in 2018  to establish the group’s Build-to-Rent platform, Vertus. He now oversees all the residential functions at Canary Wharf.  Prior to this he spent nine years with Hamptons International & Countrywide Group based in London and Hong Kong, working across residential management, leasing, and development.  I sat down with Alastair  to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: Alistair’s entry into real estate and early career steps, including his move to Hong Kong What drew him to Canary Wharf Group and the scale of the challenge Do people REALLY want to live and work in Canary Wharf? How CWG is evolving into a live, work play, fully mixed-use, 24/7 neighbourhood Rethinking residential: his views on product design, amenity relevance, and market alignment Why ‘Vertus’ and vertical integration matters - and how it shapes delivery, operations, and brand experience Plus candid takes on culture, service, execution, and so much more Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Alistair 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 🎙️is powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently - DM me on Linkedin. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate  

Ian Worboys is CEO and Co-Founder of EGLS, a pan-European logistics platform focused on sustainable development. With 40+ years in real estate, he’s led major businesses including P3 Logistic Parks and Panattoni, and is known for building high-performing teams and scaling platforms across Europe. 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, his early moves, and how discovering dyslexia later in life shaped his approach. ·   Lessons from navigating the highs and lows of a long corporate career ·   How personal loss drove him to become a book author. ·   Why timing and conviction has led to launching EGLS, and why now presents a rare market opportunity ·   How he raised capital, built alignment with backers, and assembled a high-performance pan European team at EGLS ·   EGLS three clear strategies: new development, retrofitting existing assets, and urban aggregation. ·   Whether you’re a property developer, investor, or just curious, this episode is packed with insight and inspiration.   Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Ian 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 🎙️is powered by Rockbourne - the team build elite teams for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. If you’re serious about adding game-changing talent in 2025 and are open to doing it differently - DM me on Linkedin. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate

Join Damien Sharkey, Managing Director at HUB, as he shares his journey from a family joinery in rural Ireland to leading one of the UK’s top development firms. He sheds light on the evolution of Build-to-Rent (BTR) and the co-living space revolution, highlighting innovative strategies for transforming distressed assets. Damien discusses navigating today’s challenging economic climate, the importance of collaboration in urban development, and offers valuable insights for future developers aiming to succeed in a competitive landscape.

In this engaging conversation, Carlo Matta, CEO of Nido Living and a seasoned real estate expert, shares his transformative journey from architect to developer. He discusses the challenges and strategies of expanding student housing across Europe, emphasizing the significance of people and unique offerings. Carlo reflects on his bold decision to return to university at 34 and the importance of curiosity in team culture. He also tackles market expectations and the balance between standardization and local preferences, as well as insights on rent control and emerging markets.

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, the Chief Investment Officer at Packaged Living, shares his unique journey from a humanities background to leading investments in the evolving UK property market. He discusses the birth of the Build to Rent sector and how his team launched Packaged Living. Jonathan also explores the challenges of navigating the housing market, the shift towards single-family homes, and the potential growth in the retirement rental sector. He even reveals exclusive news about Packaged Living's international expansion plans—definitely a conversation to tune in for!