This month we had the pleasure of talking to Jaclyn Thorburn who started a new role as Business Development Manager at ARMA earlier this year.
We spoke to Jaclyn about what her new role will cover, what she has done previously and what she has achieved on a more personal level recently.
You joined ARMA as a Business Development Manager at the beginning of 2019, what were you doing before that?
If I go way back, I started in property as an estate agent and property manager in 2002, but for the last 15 years, my career has been in PR and marketing, predominantly in the residential property sector. Prior to joining ARMA, I spent four years at The Oracle Group, a property marketing specialist, where I was Managing Director of Digital and Marketing. During that time, I had the pleasure of working with ARMA as a client, supporting them with various marketing, PR and social media projects, so it’s actually been quite an enjoyable transition, having worked with team and a number of members and partners over the last few years.
What does your role at ARMA cover?
My role here is very varied, and I have really enjoyed the first couple of months, getting to know our Members and Partners. I am really keen to help promote the benefits of ARMA membership to the wider industry, particularly at this crucial stage for the sector, and I will be focussing on growing our membership across England and Wales, as well as developing new initiatives, promoting the Tech Talk programme which I have just launched, and forging new partnerships to further benefit ARMA members.
What do you hope to achieve within the role in the next 12 months?
Principally, I’d like to ensure that we are offering our entire membership the best service, benefits and value as part of ARMA. This will come from raising awareness of ARMA as an organisation, developing new initiatives and partnerships that bring additional benefits to our network, and growing our membership to secure a larger proportion of the overall sector, which means we can really establish ARMA as the leading voice of the leasehold management industry.
What challenges do you see ahead of the industry in the next 12 months?
I think the next 12 – 24 months will be an interesting time for leasehold as a tenure, and also for our Members, as property managers, with proposed reform and regulation in leasehold management and building regulations both playing a huge role in how property managers will operate and perform. However, the challenge is really the unknown at the moment – the changes we are expecting are not going to happen overnight, and when they do kick in, here will be a huge adjustment period and a significant need to re-educate buyers. In the background, the backlash from the media seems to be escalating, with some of the articles particularly – and in most cases, unfairly – scathing, painting a distorted view of the industry. That perception has to change for the better!
On the other hand, it is far from doom and gloom! Much of the proposed legislation will benefit our members greatly, and there are plenty of opportunities for managing agents to grow outside of the leasehold tenure. The PRS is proving to offer agents a steady stream of business, with the build-to-rent model in particular continuing to flourish, as well as the student and co-living sub-sectors also performing well.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Never stop learning – start off with a job that plays to your strengths and core skills and see each role, each company as a new opportunity to learn more, develop your skills and meet new people. Careers these days are no longer linear – it’s not so much about climbing up one ladder, but making lateral moves and opening new networks and doors to get what you want from your career and get a career that suits your lifestyle.
What is your proudest achievement?
Funnily enough, at the time of writing, I just completed London Landmarks Half Marathon, and I feel pretty chuffed about that achievement! I always like to take on a new physical challenge every year or so, and always do so to raise money for charity, whether it’s the Moon Walk, a 12k mud race, climbing the Surrey Five Peaks, or a colour run!
Career-wise, there are so many highlights and proud moments, and I have been incredibly fortunate to work with some amazing individuals, teams, brands and organisations and on some really meaningful and innovative campaigns over years. Very early on in my PR career, I picked up a PRCA Award for Young Communicator of the Year, which was a bit of a defining moment, knowing I’d chosen a career that I both enjoyed and had a natural aptitude for. Being recognised for a career where I had to start at the bottom and developed without any relevant qualifications or vocational training, and being able to focus on the property sector for so long gives me a huge sense of pride.
What drives you crazy about the property management sector?
I think the thing that surprises me the most, having only recently immersed myself in the sector is the general lack of understanding and awareness of the leasehold tenure, by leaseholders themselves. I strongly believe that if home buyers were making more informed decisions when considering purchasing a leasehold property, there would be a much harmonious relationship overall. That responsibility for education sits not only with the buyer themselves, but there is also an opportunity for developers, agents, solicitors and mortgage advisors or lenders, to play a role in ensuring that potential leaseholders understand the legal framework they are entering.
Additionally, of course, the fact that our sector has no form of regulation is a source of frustration, and as we have seen in other industries, the few rogue operators are the ones who tarnish the reputation of the majority of the sector, who act professionally and ethically.
What do you do away from the office?
Once the blisters have gone, I will be back in the gym and keeping up my running, with summer just around the corner! Apart from that, my big passion is travelling – I have just come back from a backpacking trip around Sri Lanka before I started at ARMA, and in the last couple of years, I’ve made it to Morocco, New Zealand (three times!), Bali, Singapore, Oman, Greece, and the Dominican Republic – I have yet to plan my trips for 2019! When I’m not traveling, I love cooking and hosting dinner parties for anyone brave enough to eat my food and I try to spend as much time as I can with friends and loved ones, since my immediate family are either in Scotland or New Zealand! Music is also a huge part of life, so live music gigs always feature in my social calendar!
