1. How would you describe Hamptons’ Development Consultancy service?
Our Development Consultancy team offer developer-focused advice which spans from the point of site acquisition, all the way to creating successful sales and marketing strategies for our clients. The ultimate aim of this service is to generate further value from development sites and mitigate sales risk through the design and planning process, helping our clients to achieve best value for their assets. Working with public and private sector clients, our projects range from niche high end schemes in Prime Central London, to large scale mixed-use projects in regeneration areas. So far this year (January to April) we have assessed over 190 sites with a combined GDV of over £5 billion.
2. How does the process work?
Within the pre-planning process, we work closely with developers, project managers, architects and planning consultants to sculpt development proposals to suit the target market and ultimately to maximise value and profitability. We offer a full service assisting with initial land appraisal, unit by unit pricing, comparables analysis, tenure location guidance, demographic and target market analysis, scheme optimisation, marketing suite or show home recommendations and the creation and execution of successful marketing campaigns. Always offering the most up to date insight with the full understanding of local market characteristics and in-depth market analysis, we fine-tune our advice to the local area by combining statistical analysis with local market intelligence from our branch network.
3. How does the service add value?
As I mentioned, we will assess the site as a whole, and each unit individually, to ensure that it is appropriate for the target market and that its value is optimised. This could include advice on the right mix of units and the optimal size of the units to fit with the demand in the area, guidance on the right level of specification and amenities for the price point, or advising on the internal layouts of the units to ensure buyers will find the layouts appealing and ‘user-friendly’. All of our advice is aimed at helping the developer deliver the best possible scheme for the local area or target audience.
4. Tell us about your experience in property
I think my love for property started as a teenager when I was often found looking through the property section of the local newspaper! I have now been in the property industry for 21 years, with the vast majority of that time spent at Hamptons. I started as an estate agent and worked my way up from a Trainee Negotiator to a Regional Director. After 15 years at Hamptons, and after my first child, I decided to go it alone and completed a number of small-scale development projects as a consultant. After 3 years and another baby, I missed working in a team, the buzz of a big company and ultimately the Hamptons family. After a number of exploratory discussions and interviews, I enthusiastically returned to Hamptons to join the Development Consultancy team.
5. What has been your most memorable project?
There have been so many fantastic projects, it’s hard to choose! If pushed, I’d say the King Square development for the London Borough of Islington. This was one of the first schemes I pitched for, and have seen through from beginning to end. Islington instructed us to work on their first-ever private sale venture, the proceeds of which will be used to fund further housing investment in the Borough. We worked incredibly closely with their project team over a three year period, looking at elements such as improving unit design and specification, advising on marketing collateral and strategy to appeal to local buyers and advising on marketing suite design to maximise success. As a result of our advice, the proposed GDV for the scheme rose by £3.5 million (a 11% uplift) and our Sales team are now successfully selling the scheme. The scheme is due to complete at the end of this month. It’s been a real pleasure to see the building go from a set of ambitious site plans to a fully-fledged development providing homes for our buyers.
6. And finally, what was your first order when the pubs re-opened?
A good bottle of rosé in the sunshine with family and friends … does life get any better?
