Propertymark boss speaks candidly about ‘key’ changes he’s made to organisation

Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson has spoken of the changes he and the senior team at the trade organisations have made since he took up the reins in February.

After initially promising to steady the ship after a rocky patch that saw former bosses Tim Balcon and David Cox depart, Emerson says the organisation now has a ‘dramatically’ enhanced policy team that now engages all of the

UK’s different governments, and that there are several ‘large projects’ in the pipeline that will come to light next year.

The former Pygott & Crone agent says he has also been working hard to re-establish the organisation’s credibility, and that it has seen more former member ‘return to the fold’.

He also told the audience at a Property Investor Show seminar that the industry needs an organisation like Propertymark to ensure the overall industry’s reputation is raised and that the small number of rogue agents and bad players who frustrate this are weeded out.

Communications

In response to a question from interviewer Russell Quirk that the trade association’s communication has been ‘dire’ in the past, Emerson said he was working hard on this both to talk better to consumers and the property industry.

“Consumer need to understand the difference between an unregulated agent who is not a member of Propertymark, and one who is,” he said.

But Emerson fought back against critics who say only 25% of the property industry are members, saying this a result of the requirements member agents must meet, rather than a reluctance to join.

Emerson rounded off his comments about the industry by recognising the extraordinary input of outgoing policy chief Mark Hayward, who he said had been instrument in recent months using his government contacts to ensure the government listened to the industry about the stamp duty holiday.

Watch the interview in full.