Programme

Timothy joined Propertymark in July 2015 and leads on the organisation’s policy and campaigns activity across Westminster, the devolved parliaments, and local authorities. He recently authored Propertymark’s The Future of Renting position paper and wrote Propertymark’s best practice guidance to help agents operate during the pandemic. He also created the policy proposals for the Leasehold: A Life Sentence research report.

Before Propertymark, Timothy worked as a political advisor in Westminster for a former Business Minister and Government Whip and spent a period of time as a Caseworker and Researcher for Members of the European Parliament.

Conor O'Shea is the Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Generation Rent. He works closely with politicians, local authorities and other stakeholders on behalf of private renters, as well as representing their views in the media. He also works extensively on policy development. He has an MSci in International Relations and has a background working in diplomatic settings, thinktanks and international NGOs.

Victor has been a Southwark Councillor since 2018. He's the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition on Southwark Council and also sits on the LGA's Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board which covers issues related to planning and housing.

He has extensive experience of housing in London and particular in Southwark and Newham. Professionally, Victor has over 8 years experience with Pocket Living (an affordable housing developer for first time buyers) and Populo Living (Newham Council's wholly owned housing company) and been involved in delivering hundreds of affordable homes in over half of London's local boroughs.

Victor has written for Inside Housing on what the Government can do to support housebuilding, on the need to reform Right to Buy, and writes regular columns for Southwark News on housing issues (particularly house building and repairs) such as this. Victor was also a Manchester City Councillor (2010-14) and has recently completed an MSc in Regional and Urban Planning at LSE, where he wrote a dissertation on the regeneration of Manchester.

James Riding is Chief Reporter at Inside Housing. He covers development, net zero, Scotland and homelessness for the magazine. Inside Housing is the leading monthly magazine for housing professionals in the UK and the first choice for anyone looking for a job in housing.

Valerie is the Lettings Compliance Director for the LSL Franchisor Group. She has 40 years of experience in the Private Rented Sector starting back in the 1980s when Fair Rent Tenancies were still in existence. She began her career at an independent estate agency firm, which was acquired by General Accident in the 1980s and has remained in the corporate working environment since. Her expertise covers block management, residential lettings and repossessions.

For the past 20 years, she has been actively involved with Propertymark, which resulted in her being elected ARLA Propertymark President before serving two terms on the Propertymark Board. Valerie is currently the ARLA Propertymark Regional Executive for the Hampshire, Wiltshire and Isle of Wight area. She also won A Sunday Times award for Outstanding Contribution to the Lettings Industry and a Women in Agency Award.

James joined the Trading Standards profession in 1989 and spent many years as an operational Trading Standards Officer—he now leads the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) and oversees the regulation of estate agency work in the UK and the private rented sector in England.

National Trading Standards works closely with the redress schemes, professional bodies and government, and the team is there to protect consumers and safeguard businesses in the property sector. James is a Chartered Trading Standards Practitioner, a qualified coach and mentor, and  a regular speaker at industry events.

Christian has worked in the industry since 2010 when he founded tenant referencing company Van Mildert. The business grew to working for about 1,000 or so letting agents, carrying out over 200k references a year. Rightmove acquired the business, now known as Rightmove Landlord and Tenant Services (RLTS) in 2019. Since then, Christian has worked for Rightmove as Head of Lettings Proposition and continues to be on the board of RLTS.

Toby’s career began over twenty years ago, where his passion for property and commitment to excellence ignited a career spanning across London and Surrey. Toby has consistently demonstrated an innate understanding of market trends, client needs, marketing and negotiation strategies, earning him a reputation as a trusted advisor and creating a loyal client base. He is soon to embark on his Presidential year with a passion in raising standards and supporting members throughout the industry.

Chris owns and operates England’s Finest Photography and is the joint Managing Director of video production companies LEO Media and Property Video Solutions.

After a successful 15-year career in journalism and public relations, Chris established his first business in 2015 and went on to open his production companies in 2017. All three work with both local and national organisations in Grantham and throughout the UK to provide high quality imagery and production.

In 2011, Toby swapped his career in teaching for an admin role in a lettings agency and never looked back. In the proceeding years, he worked in most agency roles and was appointed a director of Reside Bath in 2016. He is passionate about increasing knowledge and standards in the sector, and in his role as a Regional Executive helps Propertymark members in the West Country to benefit fully from their memberships. Toby has won an industry accolade for his prolific social media output and is particularly passionate about using video marketing to connect with clients.

Matt has been involved in the media production & corporate training space for 15 years now. A skilled communicator with a love for business, Matt is an expert in post production who revels in the details and is always on the lookout for that fresh edge to make clients stand out from their competitors. Since starting PVS Media with his business partner Matt has brought together a rockstar team of editors and film makers that service clients in numerous industries with a strong focus on the property industry and helping businesses maximise their social media presence through video.

Megan Eighteen is a seasoned property professional with over 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as Lettings Director at Location Location and Vice President at ARLA Properymark. Renowned as a recognisable authority within the property industry, she is equally accessible to the public, engaging on TikTok to address key issues and anxieties surrounding the letting process from a tenant's perspective. With her wealth of knowledge and friendly demeanour, Megan is dedicated to delivering exceptional service and results for her clients and to supporting the learning journeys of Propertymark members.

Michael has been Managing Director of Sealeys Walker Jarvis in Gravesend since 1993, which is a multi-disciplined firm, dealing with residential and commercial sales, lettings and auctions. He also holds home inspector and domestic and commercial energy assessor status, together with his Propertymark Qualifications Award.

Simon is Managing Director of O’Brien Real Estate, a commercial property surveying practice with offices in West London and Berkshire. Since starting his career in 1996 he progressed to become an equity director in a long established multi disciplined Chartered Surveying group for fifteen years prior to forming his own company. Simon forms part of the Propertymark Commercial Advisory Panel and is also a member of the Propertymark Disciplinary Panel

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Michael is the Managing Director of Holden Chartered Surveyors & Building Consultancy and has over 30 years of post chartered status experience.

He has a passion for teaching building surveying and real estate spans and has been doing so for nearly 15 years in the UK and Europe. He’s a driving force in promoting enterprise and employability, along with supporting Erasmus + Charter. And as the current President of NAEA Property mark, Michael continues to lead and inspire.

Andy is Managing Director of the Commercial and Overseas businesses at Rightmove. He previously spent 10 years co-founding and running a proptech start-up, which was sold to CoStar. His early career was spent at British Land, a large commercial property owner, working on the investment team.

Alex heads up the Disputes and Litigation team at Bright Solicitors. He has experience in a wide range of litigation matters and predominately advises clients on contentious property matters such as commercial and residential landlords and tenants in connection with possession claims, dilapidations, and forfeiture. Alex also advises on matters arising from disputed rights of way, boundary issues together with general commercial property matters.

David Cox became Rightmove’s Legal and Compliance Director and latterly, General Counsel, in November 2020 following almost seven years at the helm of the lettings industry’s professional body, ARLA Propertymark. David has extensive experience in political lobbying and has led many successful campaigns; including mandatory Client Money Protection (CMP) and the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA).

David is currently a Board Director of the property reviews platform, HomeViews, as well as Rightmove Landlord and Tenant Services, a specialist tenant referencing and insurance provider and Rightmove Financial Services, an FCA-regulated mortgage intermediary. Previously, he was a Board Director of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), Money Shield and Propertymark Qualifications. A Barrister-at-Law, David was called to the Bar of Lincolns Inn in 2006.

Rory is one of the leading providers of legal services to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Scotland. He provides legal services to a wide range of organisations operating in the PRS from small agencies to large UK-wide lettings agents, tenancy deposit schemes, rental guarantee insurers and bespoke software providers. Rory also operates the Scottish end of the Propertymark legal helpline and is the Chief Examiner for the Scottish Propertymark Qualifications. Rory also sits as a Legal Chair (judge) on the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland: Housing and Property Chamber, the specialist tribunal that adjudicates on all private tenancy disputes and claims including evictions and housing conditions in Scotland.

Lettings Director, Martyn Gerrard

Greg’s lettings experience stretches back to 2002 and includes multiple industry awards including the Sunday Times Gold, The Negotiator and 'best' in the Estate Agent Guide UK. With his in-depth practical understanding of the complex lettings landscape, Greg is widely recognised as a leading figure in the industry.

Clare is an award-winning training consultant, specialising in customer experience and sales. Her career in the property industry began over 30 years ago as a part-time weekend receptionist, before moving into new-build sales, holiday cottages, panel management and B2B sales.

Clare loves to help businesses to generate more revenue by improving customer care, sales progression and providing value-added related services. Her clients include some of the largest estate agents and law firms in the country, and she is a regular speaker at Propertymark conferences and events.

Developing and nurturing the careers of estate and letting agents through training and education is a constant theme in Jan’s working life. With a passion for improving standards in the property sector Jan launched the first ever Property Services courses to be taught in further education colleges in England, resulting in young people leaving college workplace-ready, having already gained their L2 and L3 Propertymark exams.

As a former Propertymark President, Jan has over 30 years’ experience in lettings and estate agency, most of which as an Equity Partner with Arnolds Keys LLP before launching her own consultancy in 2023.

Jan was closely involved in the creation of the Junior Estate Agency Apprenticeship, and now delivers courses on all aspects of Property Agency.

Timothy joined Propertymark in July 2015 and leads on the organisation’s policy and campaigns activity across Westminster, the devolved parliaments, and local authorities. He recently authored Propertymark’s The Future of Renting position paper and wrote Propertymark’s best practice guidance to help agents operate during the pandemic. He also created the policy proposals for the Leasehold: A Life Sentence research report.

Before Propertymark, Timothy worked as a political advisor in Westminster for a former Business Minister and Government Whip and spent a period of time as a Caseworker and Researcher for Members of the European Parliament.

Ruby is an award-winning money reporter, specialising in mortgages and property. She was previously a writer at FTAdviser, a sister publication to the Financial Times.

Rachel has been in management for over 27 years. She has had placements internationally as well as based in the UK. She serves on the ARLA Propertymark Advisory Panel. Rachel is Head of Operations in the build to rent sector managing teams countrywide.

By profession Lord John Lytton is a Chartered Surveyor and has worked as a sole practitioner and more recently as a consultant. He entered the House of Lords in 1985 by succession; took the Party Wall Etc. Bill (now Party Wall Etc. Act 1996) through all its Lords stages. Left in 1999 following the passage of the House of Lords Reform Act. In 2011 he was re-elected to the House of Lords as a Crossbencher. Most recently, the Earl of Lytton has tabled a range of leasehold reform and building safety amendments in the House of Lords.

Ryan is the Founder and Executive Chair of Bright Blue. He was Chief Executive from 2014-2023. Under his leadership, Bright Blue has grown significantly in size, reputation and impact. The organisation was shortlisted for the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 UK social policy think tank of the year and UK environment and energy think tank of the year in the prestigious annual Prospect Magazine awards.

Philip has been an auctioneer for over 40 years, initially starting his working life as a PE and Geography teacher before transitioning to auctioneering. His first job in the industry was cleaning cattle pens at a local livestock market, working for Bentley Hobbs and Mytton. Here he gained a huge amount of experience by before establishing his own business, 'Philip Serrell Auctioneers and Valuers,' in 1995.

Specialising in Royal Worcester Porcelain and other Fine Art and Antiques, his business serves clients worldwide. Philip has authored three books about his life as a country auctioneer and frequently appears on antiques television shows like Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Road Trip. Additionally, he actively fundraises for local charities and serves as a Patron for St Richard's Hospice in Worcester and a Trustee of the Museum of Royal Worcester.

Director - MyAuction

Stuart began his career as an estate agent in Bath back in 2003 and made the switch to land and property auctions in 2008 working for a local, independent auction house. Due to his experience within different auction houses throughout his career, he has developed a deep understanding of the auction market and understands the strengths and weaknesses of each discipline whether it be ballroom auctions, traditional or conditional online auctions.

Having worked for and with some of the best auctioneers in the UK, he launched his own traditional online auction house—My Auction—in 2019. My Auction aims to create a fairer market place for buyers and sellers with the ultimate goal of changing the general perception of auctions within the UK property market.

Richard has been selling property for clients since 1986. He was NAVA Propertymark Auctioneer of the Year runner up in 2010. He has been successfully selling property at auction throughout the UK including collective sales in the South West of England and also at the Network Auction sales in Central London.

In addition, he has also conducted a number of “on site auctions” and he brings a wealth of experience, and a passion for selling property at auction.

Amanda is a content creator, writer and founder of contentforestateagents.co.uk a service born out of her genuine frustration at the lack of high-quality content available for independent estate and lettings agents. Driven by her passion for words, and with more than 15 years of experience, Amanda takes pride in providing premium content for her clients.

As Digital Communities and Marketing Officer at Propertymark, Natalie Barton blends personal brand with Propertymark messaging to encourage engagement with the resources and support available to agents. With people resistant to being sold to, genuine conversations matter more than ever as people find trust in personalised content and social-proofing.

Having previously worked as an estate and letting agent, Natalie understands that each person in a team will have their own areas of expertise that shine through in conversations with clients. Nurturing your team’s confidence in digital spaces as part of your agency’s brand can build recognition and trust within your local market, giving you the head-start on finding new instructions with clients already aligned to your values. Social media in a local market isn’t about going viral, but about becoming a recognised part of the community.

Colleen is the Head of B2B Marketing at Rightmove and a big part of her role is helping agents to help them make the most of their brands on Rightmove and beyond. Colleen spent 10 years working at an award-winning independent estate agency in West London, before moving to Rightmove 9 years ago. With 19 years in the industry, Colleen believes that marketing is about understanding the people who need your service and how to reach them effectively. Originally from Canada, Colleen loves spinning, reading, art and drinking more espresso based beverages than would be considered strictly healthy. 

Jon has worked across PR and broadcasting for almost 25 years, having worked for The AA and Heart FM, and happily classing himself as an absolute radio geek during COVID built a fully functioning radio studio at his house that easily competes with any radio station.

As someone who has always had a positive can-do approach, he has helped many people rise to the challenge of live media by ensuring they know their strengths and how to capitalise on their personality and knowledge. 

A firm believer that all things are possible, he has coached and inspired people to push their limits by promoting confidence and ensuring people have real-world knowledge of how to pitch themselves regarding public relations and media work.