Lionheart is an industry charity that provides support to RICS members and their families. That support covers both financial and emotional and can be both reactive and proactive.
To discuss the range of services that it offers to those in the industry, chief executive Davina Goodchild joins Sarah Jackman for the latest episode of Bricks & Mortar.
She touches on mental health and wellbeing, the type of support available to members and why APC candidates and those in the early stages of their career might benefit from the service just as much as experienced professionals.
Break clauses detail the ability of either party to a lease to be able to terminate the agreement. But operating them is far from straightforward.
A substantial body of case law - built up over many years - governs their operation and continues to evolve. That case law imposes strict compliance with the conditions of the lease and, as a result, the potential for disputes is high.
To help guide listeners through the potential minefield is property litigator, Helena Davies, a partner at Brabners in Manchester. She joins Sarah Jackman to discuss the importance of the break clause to the commercial lease, the things that parties need to be aware of when drafting and how strict compliance with the conditions of the lease is crucial.
"Take control of your career, because no one else is going to do it for you” says Jo Owen, partner at law firm Proskauer and this week’s guest on Bricks & Mortar. She joins Sarah Jackman to look back on her career to date and to reflect on the things that have enabled her to develop it.
She discusses the value of a mentor, grasping opportunity, being proactive and building a professional network. She also considers how good clients can bring great joy to the working day and provide exposure to different experiences, which can help to expand your skill set. Ultimately though, “you have to find your passion. Your career is – hopefully – going to last for many years and you want to enjoy it.”
Climbing to the top of any profession will inevitably involve public speaking in some form, be it giving a talk, addressing large groups of colleagues or chairing an event. It can be a daunting prospect - particularly in the early stages of a career or if public speaking doesn't come naturally.
But there are ways of building up to chairing an event or delivering a key note speech at a conference. And who better to share his tips on mastering the art of public speaking than Damian Wild - Editor-in-Chief and Publisher at EG. He joins Sarah Jackman in the studio for this week's episode of Bricks & Mortar and covers everything from the use of a prop and jokes to dress code and preparation.
For a decade, residential property lawyer Anna Favre worked in fashion journalism. But after reading a book on civil liberties, she was inspired to make a change of career. A period of part-time study followed, before she qualified as a lawyer and specialised in property.
Hear Anna discuss with EG's professional and legal editor, Sarah Jackman, how she effected that change, why there are benefits to entering a career with some work experience already on your CV and why ultimately property has proved to be the ideal sector to practice in.
Counsellors and supervisors have a critical role to play in supporting candidates through the APC process. That support can take many forms, from providing regular feedback on their work and testing them on their competency and ethics knowledge to recommending when they're ready for final assessment.
To explain how the relationship works on a practical level, the structured RICS guidance that governs it and who is best placed to assume the two roles, Rachel Saint - co-founder of Property Elite - joins Sarah Jackman in the EG studio for the latest episode of Bricks & Mortar.
Rachel draws on her extensive experience of providing training support to APC candidates and suggests how they can get the most out of the relationship to ensure that they pass the APC the first time around.
APC assessment is often the culmination of several years hard work and intensive study. So it inevitably comes as a huge disappointment for a candidate to receive a referral.
Ralph Charlwood, DeLever APC expert coach, mock interview assessor, RICS chair and APC assessor tells Sarah Jackman why candidates might be referred, what they need to do to prepare for a resit and how, ultimately, they should aim to turn a negative experience into a positive.
As he reflects: "Those around you are likely to judge how you deal with it rather than the referral itself. Try and reframe this as an opportunity to demonstrate maturity and grow as a professional. In the years to come you will look back and see it - in the context of other challenges that you will have faced - as a minor setback and hopefully one that you successfully overcame."
For many of those developing a career in property, part-time study is a must. It allows financial freedom and the ability to get established in the industry while qualifying for the next steps of the journey.
Inevitably it's not without its challenges and the ability to self motivate and effectively balance the demands of work and study is key.
To discuss how it all works in practice are Peter Escreet, MBA Construction and Real Estate Programme Leader at the University College of Estate Management and Sara Williams - a recent graduate of the university.
The commercial lease will be familiar to all property professionals. Yet there are many questions to consider when negotiating one. "Which standard lease should I use?" "Should I take a lease with or without 1954 Act protection?" "What is an FRI lease?"
Professional support lawyer, Katharine Fenn, answers these questions - as well as discussing the key sections that make up the lease and the things to keep in mind in relation to notices, break clauses, service charges and, importantly, repair.
She leaves listeners with her top tips for ensuring an efficient and effective negotiation and stresses the importance of agreeing heads of terms at the outset.
Securing planning permission is a key initial stage of any development scheme. But how best to do this?
Planning lawyer, Jay Das, offers listeners five top tips for securing a permission based on her experience of navigating the planning process. She discusses the need to keep it professional, listen carefully to what planning officers say and how ultimately persistence pays.
