

People Property Place
Matthew Watts
Interviewing the leaders shaping the real estate investment management industry. Hosted by Matthew Watts, Founder of Rockbourne.
The central intention of this podcast is to share the stories, views, opinions, and career journeys of the movers, shakers, innovators, and leaders in the real estate investment management industry.
Whether you are an existing real estate professional, aspiring to break into the space, or just want to know more about this fascinating sector this podcast is for you.
New episodes of The People Property Place Podcast will be released regularly and you will be able to find them for free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or any App that supports podcasts.
Oh, and one last thing - in every episode, I will be asking each guest who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would be looking to invest, should they have £500m at their disposal.
www.rockbourne.com
The central intention of this podcast is to share the stories, views, opinions, and career journeys of the movers, shakers, innovators, and leaders in the real estate investment management industry.
Whether you are an existing real estate professional, aspiring to break into the space, or just want to know more about this fascinating sector this podcast is for you.
New episodes of The People Property Place Podcast will be released regularly and you will be able to find them for free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or any App that supports podcasts.
Oh, and one last thing - in every episode, I will be asking each guest who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would be looking to invest, should they have £500m at their disposal.
www.rockbourne.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 8, 2024 • 1h 17min
#85 Chase French, Director of Financial and Portfolio Analytics at Tritax
Backed by global asset manager Abrdn - Tritax invest in and manage critical supply chain real assets in the UK and Europe which are aligned with the structural trends shaping the future economy. Chase joined Tritax in 2019 from Avison Young Real Estate Finance, where he was leading the analysis of massive multi-phase developments and property portfolios alike. He has previously held roles at Rabobank International and holds a BSc. In Mathematics and an MSc. In Economics, Finance and Management from the University of Bristol. I sat down with Chase to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * Early career moves * How he got into real estate * Still stacking using edX (Harvard & MIT sponsored platform) * Financial modelling & using Python, Power BI, MySQL, Visual Basic, Excel, R * Building forward predicting models & driving better decisions * Attracting, retaining, and empowering talent * Real Estate & Artificial intelligence Oh, and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Chase would invest should he have £500m of equity at his disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Spotify, Apple & YouTube. The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. www.rockbourne.com #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate

Aug 1, 2024 • 1h 1min
#84 RECAP with Claire Dawe – Head of Asset Management, Stanhope
Claire joined Stanhope in September 2018 from Grosvenor Britain & Ireland where she lead the Asset Management team for the Belgravia portfolio. At Stanhope she leads the Asset Management team which is responsible for a portfolio of just under 6 million sq ft and £4bn of assets under management. As well as her day job Claire is also a Mentor for Stanhope-backed initiative Mentoring Circle. I sat down with Claire to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * The role of real estate in talent acquisition * Landlords serving occupiers * Shifting from Asset Manager to running a team of Asset Managers * Innovation real estate * The board you can’t afford * Hiring into your team * Complex real estate * Mentoring circle Oh, and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Claire would invest should she have £500m of equity at her disposal. Catch the full episode which is live on Spotify, Apple & YouTube. The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. This podcast was recorded back in August 2023 and is being re-released. #peoplepropertyplace #podcast #rockbourne #realestate www.rockbourne.com Podcast produced and edited by https://mattcookproducer.com

Jul 25, 2024 • 56min
#83 Sam Cotton, Head of Asset Management & Leasing at Battersea Power Station
Sam has responsibility for all retail, leisure, office and meanwhile components of the live 42 acre £8bn Power Station estate. He joined the business in 2015 and led on the curation of the occupier mix from masterplan inception, delivery of the pre-letting campaign through to public launch in October 2022, taking BPS from a former derelict industrial site to a best in class fully let mixed-use London estate. Prior to joining BPS in 2015 Sam held roles at Cap Co, Henderson Global Investors and started his career at Savills. I sat down with Sam to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How he got into real estate * Early career moves * Space activation * Turning an idea into reality * Tenant mix curation * Placemaking * Competition + attracting occupiers * Importance of Data Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Sam would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. Podcast produced and edited by https://mattcookproducer.com #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #peoplepropertyplace

10 snips
Jul 18, 2024 • 1h 4min
#82 Keith Breslauer - Managing Director & Senior Partner at Patron Capital
In this engaging discussion, Keith Breslauer, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Patron Capital, dives into his illustrious journey from banking at Lehman Brothers to thriving in real estate investment. He shares insights on the importance of local partnerships and adapting to market challenges. Breslauer also explores his philanthropic efforts, focusing on veterans and domestic abuse initiatives. The conversation wraps up with his strategic vision for investing £500 million into Western European residential markets, highlighting a keen sense of opportunity in a demanding sector.

Jul 11, 2024 • 1h 20min
#81 Honor Barratt, CEO of Birchgrove
At Birchgrove Honor and her team believe that renting instead of owning a home is the most liberating form of tenure and allows their residents to retain their independence without the burdens of homeownership. Birchgrove, backed by Bridges Fund Management they operate a portfolio of assisted living developments with contemporary apartments for rent in brand-new, purpose-built facilities within and around the M25. Honor has had a previous career in the television, broadcasting, production, and media world, before moving into the real estate space as a second career. I sat down with Honor to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * Building a global media business and selling to private equity * Transitioning to real estate as a second career * Assisted living occupier avatar * Desire for more competition in the assisted living space * Building a team & traits she looks for * Getting shit done * Is a Labour Government good for Birchgrove? * Intergenerational living * Targeting a 2x and 20% return Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Honor would invest should she have £500m of capital at her disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #privateequity #peoplepropertyplace #investmentmanagement

Jul 4, 2024 • 1h 1min
#80 Christian Jamison, Managing Partner & CEO of Valor Real Estate Partners
Christian set Valor up in 2016, with investment partners Jeffrey Kelter and Robert Savage, with the idea of creating a pan European Real Estate investment and Asset Management partnership focused exclusively on the logistics sector. Today they have over 3bn Euros under management, spanning over 180 properties and 12 million square feet. Prior to Valor, Christian, established Delin Capital Asset Management in 2012 where he served as the CEO. He has worked at Robert Fleming, Credit Suisse, GE Real Estate and JP Morgan having graduated from the University of Bristol with a B.Sc. in Economics & Politics. I sat down with Christian to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How he got into real estate * Move from banking to principal investment * How he created Valor * Market timing * Proprietary data * Raising capital * Importance of selecting the right team * Future of the business * Industrial land attrition Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Christian would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. Podcast produced and edited by Matt Cook at https://mattcookproducer.com #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #privateequity #peoplepropertyplace #investmentmanagement

Jun 27, 2024 • 52min
#79 Crispin Gandy, CEO - Argo Real Estate
Crispin Gandy, CEO - Argo Real Estate Argo is a dynamic UK-based thematic investor focused on delivering outperformance for their investors. As a group they have concluded c. £2bn of transactions and have expertise across all mainstream asset classes investing across core to opportunistic risk profiles. Prior to joining Argo, Crispin was previously head of Investec Property in the UK. He has over 25 years’ experience in the industry, working for companies such as Exemplar Properties, Schroders and Knight Frank. Crispin holds a Bsc Hons degree in Estate Management and is a member of the RICS. I sat down with Crispin to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How he got into real estate * Early career moves + experience * Choosing investment themes * Timing the market * Building high performing teams * Patience Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Crispin would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #peoplepropertyplace Podcast edited and produced by Matt Cook at www.mattcookproducer.com

Jun 20, 2024 • 58min
#78 Morwenna Hall, Chief Operating Officer - Related Argent
Morwenna Hall, Chief Operating Officer - Related Argent. Related Argent is a complete developer, owner and operator with a c. £13bn, 21 million sq ft portfolio and an unrivalled track record of delivering global exemplars of city-building. It creates and manages a diverse portfolio across workspace, residential, education, retail, hospitality, leisure and public realm with schemes ranging from 270,000 sq ft to 8 million sq ft. Morwenna joined the former Argent business in 2011 and in addition to her corporate leadership role, Morwenna led the design and delivery of several major projects at King’s Cross, including Coal Drops Yard, the Fish & Coal Building and Gasholder Park. At Brent Cross Town, Morwenna is responsible for the ground plane experience, retail, leisure and public realm. She is a chartered mechanical engineer and started her career at Arup as a mechanical building services engineer. I sat down with Morwenna to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How she got into real estate * Transition from advisor to principal * Placemaking * Ground floor activation * Generalist > Specialist * Related Argent future * Forging your own career path * Challenging the status quo Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Morwenna would invest should she have £500m of capital at her disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙️ is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #peoplepropertyplace Podcast produced and edited by Matt Cook at www.mattcookproducer.com

Jun 13, 2024 • 60min
#77 Alexander Morris, Development Director at BGO
BGO is a leading, top 10, global real estate private equity investment management advisor and a globally recognized provider of real estate services. Its specialist central London office fund, Welput, was formed in 2001 and is the largest unlisted specialist real estate fund to invest in and develop Central London offices. The fund currently holds a portfolio of 9 assets, comprising over 1 million sq ft of accommodation, spread across Central London’s core sub-markets. Alexander has previously worked at Tishman Speyer, Minerva PLC, ALM Associates as well as Gardiner & Theobald. I sat down with Alexander to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: * How he got into real estate * Early career moves * Being the Central London Tower Expert * Raising capital * Complexities reimagining listed buildings * Importance of mentorship * ES + G * Making the Sustainability Consultant the project lead * BGO's Social Value Strategy Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Alexander would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers. You can check out 105VS’s website using the link here: https://findalternative.co.uk/ Below is a list of all the charities supported by the 105VS social strategy mentioned in the conversation: @The Abbey Centre Westminster Wheels @Wondering Minds @Mind @Cardinal Hume Centre The Grey Coat Hospital School St. Matthew’s Primary School @Westminster City School #podcast #rockbourne #realestate #peoplepropertyplace

Jun 6, 2024 • 1h 3min
#76 Oliver Lowrie, Co-Founder and Director of Ackroyd Lowrie
Oli started his career at Architype, as a Project Architect where he spent 9 years honing his skills in Project Management, Design and Project Delivery. He left in 2014 to set up Ackroyd Lowrie with business partner Jon Ackroyd to build an innovative architectural practice with a reputation for putting people at the heart of the design process, they are able to deliver characterful, sustainable, high-quality schemes to anchor new neighbourhoods. As well as his day job, Oli hosts the popular Urban Forecast Podcast where he speaks to a broad cross section of guests who are defining the future of our cities. He also manages to find the time to run the Breakfast Club Briefings – a series of events focused on bringing together planners, policy markers, developers and consultants. I sat down with Oli to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics: How he got into real estate Setting up his business The projects they work on Building marketing funnels Giving back to the industry The academy they have launched Planning challenges Oh and one last question - who are the People, what Property, and in which Place Oliver would invest should he have £500m of capital at his disposal. Catch the full episode, which is live on Spotify, Apple and Youtube NOW! The People Property Place Podcast 🎙is powered by Rockbourne - the team recruit Leadership & Future Leadership hires for Real Estate Funds, Owners, Investors & Developers.