From recruitment in to the world of property

One thing that has intrigued me is the perception of the business from being an outsider to shifting to within OBI and becoming part of the team. OBI always held an intriguing perception for me as an outsider but now, as part of the team, I can clearly understand why OBI is one of the most reputable businesses in the city and I’m delighted to join the team.

This is a young dynamic workforce with a flat structure where the directors of the business sit within the heart of the workspace and are fully committed to empowering their people. I was seriously impressed by the strength of the culture within OBI and you can clearly recognise that the subjective approach to hiring contributes to the success of the business.

My background

My background sits within recruitment and I have been working hard to close the gap on my property knowledge and to gain a deeper understanding of my role. It’s easy to see that the vision of OBI extends well beyond property and I take confidence in the skill-sets I will bring to the team.
The transition into property is something I’ve always wanted to do, I’ve had a keen interest in the industry growing up, watching my dad run a privately-owned investment and development company for both commercial and residential property and to add to this my mum was an interior designer.

How did I end up here?

Funnily enough I met Will Lewis through a mutual friend. Will is a devout Stoke City fan and by chance, one of my closest friends happens to play for Stoke. I arranged tickets for Will and his son on request of our mutual friend, which I was more than happy to do despite never meeting Will. A few weeks later Will requested to meet me and subsequently returned the favour taking me to a game at Old Trafford. We got on well and kept in touch and the relationship grew from there. 6 months later I was offered to join OBI.

What will be my focus?

My role is diverse in nature, which I enjoy. I am involved in many wider aspects of the business; however, my main focus is to develop strong relationships with businesses looking to either relocate or enhance their existing workspace. By taking time to gain a good understanding of a business and its culture and values, this enables me to deliver the best real estate strategy to make them more successful. I will also be looking to take OBI in to new sectors and regions including South Manchester and London.

OBI in 2018

OBI is growing at quite a rate and if I were to sum the strategy up in two words since joining the business it would be ‘automation’ and ‘integration’. It’s clear to see the business working smarter to innovate and automate processes so time can be utilised more effectively. As far as integration is concerned OBI have a significant digital element and it’s evident to see that side being bolstered. Graphic design, Brand design, video and much more are being delivered in-house and I’m excited to see this side of the business develop further.

Where I am looking for help

As I look to build my relationships with businesses outside of Manchester, Salford Quays and Cheshire I’d be extremely grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction of any networks they are aware of. I am also looking to create strategic partnerships with the Cheshire businesses to leverage one another’s networks, please get in touch as it’d be great to have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with as many businesses as possible within these areas.