The Landlord Leaders Community is our membership group of individuals and organisations focused on creating a fairer and more sustainable private rented sector.
Doug joined 3mc in 1999 as part of the team heading up the intermediary sales and marketing distribution strategy.
Prior to this he spent 14 years with Britannia Building Society group including working as a BDM for Verso throughout the North of England.
In 2003 Doug became Sales Director at 3mc, and took the role of Joint Managing Director in 2006, where he’s responsible for both sales and marketing and the operational functions within the business.
Gavin Richardson is Managing Director at Mortgages for Business, where he joined in September 2016. He has held several roles during his tenure at the company, such as Chief Operating Officer, Sales Director and Head of Residential Mortgages.
Prior to this, he worked as Area Sales Manager at NatWest and Bancassurance Sales Manager at Lloyds Bank Private Banking.
Howard Levy is Head of Buy to Let Lending at SPF Private Clients, where he joined in 2003. He recently won the Broker: Complex Buy To Let award at the British Specialist Lending Awards where he was commended for his technical knowledge, attention to detail and strong client relationships.
Jon Hall is a results-driven retail banking professional, with more than 15 years of regulated financial services board experience. He’s held C-suite leadership roles as CEO, MD, CFO and CCO, as well as being an FCA Chartered Accountant with expertise in start-up, turnaround and growth businesses.
He’s worked in listed, mutuals and private business, with founders, family offices and private equity, and has held roles in advisory and audit, insurance, investment advice, savings, lending and digital.
Jon is currently Group Managing Director, Mortgages & Savings at OSB Group. Previously, as Managing Director then CCO & Deputy CEO of Masthaven Bank from 2014 to 2021, leading a new to market UK Specialist Bank from ideation to launch. Prior to this he was CEO and CFO of Saffron Building Society for 10 years.
Jorden is a Chief Executive with an extensive career within finance. He has demonstrable experience and success across a range of disciplines, which led to fast-track career progression within Norfolk Capital Group.
He’s effective both strategically and operationally, with the capacity to drive high levels of performance from operational teams, by applying insight and achieving positive change.
Jorden is passionate about success with a hands-on approach to driving the organisation forward, and believes that accomplishing great results comes from excellence in delivery of customer service to clients, and a positive working environment and culture for staff.
Lucy is the founder and managing director of Aria Finance, an established master broker within the specialist finance industry which incorporates previous brands Vantage Finance and Enterprise Finance. Since starting Vantage Finance in 2004, Lucy built the business into one of the UK’s leading specialist finance distributors with a reputation for first-class service and the ability to complete even the most complex finance cases.
Lucy has grown and actively mentors a team of talented advisors that work hard on ensuring Aria Finance has excellent relationships with specialist lenders and one that prides itself on the bespoke service they provide every client.
In 2016 she led the business through Private Equity transaction for a significant minority acquisition and later a trade acquisition by the ENRA group in 2018. In 2022 she led the merge of two major UK specialist brokerages Vantage Finance & sister business Enterprise Finance to create Aria Finance.
As a well-respected name in the specialist finance market, Lucy has sat on various industry body boards including the NACFB, is a regular commentator in trade press and speaker at industry events across the UK.
Matthew Rowne has been Director at The Buy To Let Broker since 2010. He’s also been a volunteer at mental health support charity the Samaritans for six years.
A self-confessed statistician and number-cruncher, over the last eight years Matthew has helped to build one of the fastest growing national brokerage firms in the UK.
During his time at The Buy to let Broker, he has helped to achieve a number of accolades for the firm, such as Best Adviser Firm For Complex Lending 2021 as well as the prestigious Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for three consecutive years.
Nicholas Christofi has been Managing Director at Sirius Group UK since January 2017. He previously worked as Property Development Finance Specialist at Brightstar and Head of Commercial Finance at Robert Sterling Financial Services.
He specialises in property development and commercial finance. His strengths lie in structured finance, using his connections with the high street banks, merchant banks and specialist finance houses to serve the best solution for clients.
Nick is Lettings Area Director at Sequence UK Ltd, incorporating Barnard Marcus, Brown & Merry, Fox & Sons and William H Brown.
He’s an experienced area manager with a demonstrated history of working in the real estate industry. Skilled in lettings, estate agents, property management, real estate and rentals.
Nick is a strong sales professional with a proven track record working to KPIs.
Residential property fund and student accommodation director specialising in affordable provision. Managing Director of the Kexgill Group in the UK and Germany. Kexgill own and operate the University Quarter Housing brand.
Sally Laker is Managing Director at Mortgage Intelligence UK, which she joined more than 20 years ago, from its origins as a start-up business in 1996. She previously worked in life assurance and mortgages with large corporates Royal Insurance, Norwich Union (now Aviva) and Provincial.
She worked for six years as a member of the FCA Small Business Practitioners Panel and was Deputy Chairperson at the FCA Small Business Practitioners Panel for two years. She was also a member of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries for five years.
Suzanne Smith is a landlord in Kent, who founded The Independent Landlord blog in August 2022, providing legal and practical advice and insights to UK landlords and property businesses.
Before retiring at age 51 in 2019, Suzanne worked as an in-house lawyer for 25 years, most recently as General Counsel & Company Secretary of a listed company with a market capitalisation of over £3bn. Suzanne has a broad range of legal and commercial expertise ranging from capital markets, international M&A and corporate governance to competition law, commercial litigation and intellectual property.
Suzanne has a strong sense of social responsibility in her role as a landlord, and advocates that landlords need keep to the interests of renters at the heart of their property business in order to build sustainable portfolios. Suzanne was accepted as an official member of Ethical Influencers in April 2023.
Suzanne is an Accredited Landlord Member of the National Residential Landlords Association, and a qualified non-practising solicitor.
Tim is an experienced policy and communications professional, and he’s skilled in public speaking and delivering lobbying activity across local authorities, Westminster and the devolved parliaments.
He takes the lead on advocacy and communication campaigns as well as interpreting legislation and putting it into easily digestible formats. He currently heads up political engagement activity for the UK’s largest professional body for property agents.
His specialist subjects are housing, economic crime, property agents, energy efficiency and the private rented sector.
Doug joined 3mc in 1999 as part of the team heading up the intermediary sales and marketing distribution strategy.
Prior to this he spent 14 years with Britannia Building Society group including working as a BDM for Verso throughout the North of England.
In 2003 Doug became Sales Director at 3mc, and took the role of Joint Managing Director in 2006, where he’s responsible for both sales and marketing and the operational functions within the business.
Gavin Richardson is Managing Director at Mortgages for Business, where he joined in September 2016. He has held several roles during his tenure at the company, such as Chief Operating Officer, Sales Director and Head of Residential Mortgages.
Prior to this, he worked as Area Sales Manager at NatWest and Bancassurance Sales Manager at Lloyds Bank Private Banking.
Howard Levy is Head of Buy to Let Lending at SPF Private Clients, where he joined in 2003. He recently won the Broker: Complex Buy To Let award at the British Specialist Lending Awards where he was commended for his technical knowledge, attention to detail and strong client relationships.
Jon Hall is a results-driven retail banking professional, with more than 15 years of regulated financial services board experience. He’s held C-suite leadership roles as CEO, MD, CFO and CCO, as well as being an FCA Chartered Accountant with expertise in start-up, turnaround and growth businesses.
He’s worked in listed, mutuals and private business, with founders, family offices and private equity, and has held roles in advisory and audit, insurance, investment advice, savings, lending and digital.
Jon is currently Group Managing Director, Mortgages & Savings at OSB Group. Previously, as Managing Director then CCO & Deputy CEO of Masthaven Bank from 2014 to 2021, leading a new to market UK Specialist Bank from ideation to launch. Prior to this he was CEO and CFO of Saffron Building Society for 10 years.
Jorden is a Chief Executive with an extensive career within finance. He has demonstrable experience and success across a range of disciplines, which led to fast-track career progression within Norfolk Capital Group.
He’s effective both strategically and operationally, with the capacity to drive high levels of performance from operational teams, by applying insight and achieving positive change.
Jorden is passionate about success with a hands-on approach to driving the organisation forward, and believes that accomplishing great results comes from excellence in delivery of customer service to clients, and a positive working environment and culture for staff.
Lucy is the founder and managing director of Aria Finance, an established master broker within the specialist finance industry which incorporates previous brands Vantage Finance and Enterprise Finance. Since starting Vantage Finance in 2004, Lucy built the business into one of the UK’s leading specialist finance distributors with a reputation for first-class service and the ability to complete even the most complex finance cases.
Lucy has grown and actively mentors a team of talented advisors that work hard on ensuring Aria Finance has excellent relationships with specialist lenders and one that prides itself on the bespoke service they provide every client.
In 2016 she led the business through Private Equity transaction for a significant minority acquisition and later a trade acquisition by the ENRA group in 2018. In 2022 she led the merge of two major UK specialist brokerages Vantage Finance & sister business Enterprise Finance to create Aria Finance.
As a well-respected name in the specialist finance market, Lucy has sat on various industry body boards including the NACFB, is a regular commentator in trade press and speaker at industry events across the UK.
Matthew Rowne has been Director at The Buy To Let Broker since 2010. He’s also been a volunteer at mental health support charity the Samaritans for six years.
A self-confessed statistician and number-cruncher, over the last eight years Matthew has helped to build one of the fastest growing national brokerage firms in the UK.
During his time at The Buy to let Broker, he has helped to achieve a number of accolades for the firm, such as Best Adviser Firm For Complex Lending 2021 as well as the prestigious Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for three consecutive years.
Nicholas Christofi has been Managing Director at Sirius Group UK since January 2017. He previously worked as Property Development Finance Specialist at Brightstar and Head of Commercial Finance at Robert Sterling Financial Services.
He specialises in property development and commercial finance. His strengths lie in structured finance, using his connections with the high street banks, merchant banks and specialist finance houses to serve the best solution for clients.
Nick is Lettings Area Director at Sequence UK Ltd, incorporating Barnard Marcus, Brown & Merry, Fox & Sons and William H Brown.
He’s an experienced area manager with a demonstrated history of working in the real estate industry. Skilled in lettings, estate agents, property management, real estate and rentals.
Nick is a strong sales professional with a proven track record working to KPIs.
Residential property fund and student accommodation director specialising in affordable provision. Managing Director of the Kexgill Group in the UK and Germany. Kexgill own and operate the University Quarter Housing brand.
Sally Laker is Managing Director at Mortgage Intelligence UK, which she joined more than 20 years ago, from its origins as a start-up business in 1996. She previously worked in life assurance and mortgages with large corporates Royal Insurance, Norwich Union (now Aviva) and Provincial.
She worked for six years as a member of the FCA Small Business Practitioners Panel and was Deputy Chairperson at the FCA Small Business Practitioners Panel for two years. She was also a member of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries for five years.
Suzanne Smith is a landlord in Kent, who founded The Independent Landlord blog in August 2022, providing legal and practical advice and insights to UK landlords and property businesses.
Before retiring at age 51 in 2019, Suzanne worked as an in-house lawyer for 25 years, most recently as General Counsel & Company Secretary of a listed company with a market capitalisation of over £3bn. Suzanne has a broad range of legal and commercial expertise ranging from capital markets, international M&A and corporate governance to competition law, commercial litigation and intellectual property.
Suzanne has a strong sense of social responsibility in her role as a landlord, and advocates that landlords need keep to the interests of renters at the heart of their property business in order to build sustainable portfolios. Suzanne was accepted as an official member of Ethical Influencers in April 2023.
Suzanne is an Accredited Landlord Member of the National Residential Landlords Association, and a qualified non-practising solicitor.
Tim is an experienced policy and communications professional, and he’s skilled in public speaking and delivering lobbying activity across local authorities, Westminster and the devolved parliaments.
He takes the lead on advocacy and communication campaigns as well as interpreting legislation and putting it into easily digestible formats. He currently heads up political engagement activity for the UK’s largest professional body for property agents.
His specialist subjects are housing, economic crime, property agents, energy efficiency and the private rented sector.
Improving the energy efficiency of the private rented sector is a big issue, without easy solutions. It’s a topic we discussed at the inaugural Landlord Leaders Community event, and how it’s a particular problem for older properties in areas with low rents. It’s wonderful to see a lender taking corporate social responsibility beyond a tick box page in the annual report.
It is great to meet with like-minded people from various areas of the private rented sector and collaborate together on this. We aim to help everyone involved in the sector to provide a good, sustainable end product for tenants, as well as a thriving business for landlords. I look forward to our next meeting and I thank OSB Group for this opportunity to make a difference.
I am (incredibly) passionate about the role that the private rented sector plays in supporting the most vulnerable in society - thank you once again for involving us in such an exciting and crucial industry initiative.
A great discussion and opportunity to see the market through the lens of different people in the sector. Thank you for hosting.
In 2022, we set out to understand the changing shape of the Private Rented Sector through an ESG lens to help shape our strategy, support our broker partners and deliver the support our landlord clients need today and looking forwards.
How this environment is driving a shift to more professional landlords.
of landlords feel there are benefits to the professionalisation of the sector.
of brokers agree the sector is professionalising and 30% say it is change for good.
of landlords agree that the sector is moving towards professionalisation.
The shift to professionalisation is anything but accidental and requires serious hard work from the landlords forging the path of change.
The majority of professional landlords have either already become or plan to become LLCs (76%), hire more staff (73%) and employ external consultants (72%).
of landlords have or will invest ahead of potential EPC legislative change in order to help their business succeed.
of landlords say they have or will spend more time thinking about tenant experience.
The research shows a clear divergence between professional and part-time landlord motivations.
| Earning potential | |
|---|---|
| Creating wealth | |
| Growing my own company | |
| Positive impact on tenants |
| Earning potential | |
|---|---|
| Investing in a fixed asset | |
| Creating wealth | |
| Interest in managing property |
Landlords committed to grow their business
One in five of the professional landlords (18%) say they are already acting and updating properties to improve their EPC ratings.
Lower energy bills for tenants
0%
Peace of mind knowing I’m playing my role in reducing environmental impact
0%
Increasing value of property portfolio
0%
Creating a more comfortable living environment for tenants
0%
Continually improving property portfolio
0%
72% of brokers feel well equipped to support their clients in financing EPC changes. They anticipate the funding will come from:
The founding members of the Landlord Leaders Community, convened by OSB Group, has today launched its mission statement outlining its aims to drive positive change for a sustainable and thriving private rented sector.
While the Government consults on the private rented sector’s decarbonisation, many landlords, 68% according to our own Landlord Leaders research last year, are already acting - or getting ready to act
Recent headlines have declared the demise of the ‘dinner party landlord’. This has always struck me as a strange term, though not as odd as the ‘accidental landlord’,
Investing in buy to let property is not for those looking to make a fast buck. Most buy to let landlords these days view their investment as a project with potential to generate
I can’t remember the last time there was an official Budget delivered that contained good news for buy to let landlords, and this year’s was no exception.
Our on-demand webinar explores important developments in the buy to let industry, including landlords' motivations, objectives and plans for the future.
Leading specialist lender OSB Group is today announcing a package of targeted measures to support buy to let landlords seeking to improve the sustainability
Once the Christmas carols have faded away, the mood music in the UK mortgage market is likely to be pretty subdued. Business levels in 2023 will certainly be lower
Let’s face it, there will be some hard yards to cover in 2023. The cost of living challenges and higher interest rates mean a contraction in the total size of the mortgage market is probable, but within that there will definitely
The Energy Audit Commission (EAC) deployed strong language this month when it called for a national ‘war effort’
Private landlords play a key role in the UK, providing homes for around 20% of all households, many of which are financed by a buy to let mortgage.
If you’ve opened a fuel bill, filled up your car or listened to the news recently, you’ll be only too aware of the energy cost crisis gripping the nation.
As a broker, what might you find if you looked inside the mind of one of your buy to let landlord clients? Concern about rising interest rates and tenant affordability?
