16th December 2015
Meet the Team: Patrick Donnelly, our Land & New Homes Director
Land and New Homes Director Patrick Donnelly beat some of the best estate agents in the country to make the final six in The Sunday Times and The Times Estate Agency Manager of the Year competition. Patrick, who was formerly the Manager of our Croydon Branch, was ‘honoured’ to be shortlisted in the prestigious national awards programme. Here he talks about his role at Streets Ahead.
1. How did it feel to be shortlisted for the Manager of the Year Awards?
It came right out of the blue, so at first I felt surprised .When it started to sink in I felt delighted that Streetsahead had put me forward because it showed how they felt about me. On the day of the awards, just to be named in the short list of six was very nice, considering the number of entrants. I felt disappointed on the day not to win, but I felt quite honoured to be considered.
2. How long have you worked at Streetsahead?
I joined the company in December 2009 as the Office Lister, which means I visited owners and told them how much their properties were worth, and helped get them on the market to sell. I became the Croydon Office Manager in 2012.
3. What is your new job and what does the role involve?
My job title is New Homes Director and my role is to contact developers working on new and current property projects and get them to use the Streetsahead Land and New Homes department to market their developments. I also contact the developers to see if we can help in the marketing of new developments that are already on the market.
4. What aspect of your job do you enjoy most?
I enjoy building working relationships with these developers. This includes everything from selling them the land to build on, through to agreeing the marketing plan and pricing, and then selling the finished product.
5. How has the property industry changed since you started?
I started in the property industry over 30 years ago when vendors and purchasers sold or purchased their properties, either by advertising in the local paper, or through a ‘for sale’ board in the garden, or through a vendor recommendation at the school gate. Today, thanks to the internet, your purchaser could come from any part of the world. The agent of today must offer a much better service to win the business and must be able to offer a 24 hours a day, seven days a week service to stay ahead of the competition.
6. Tell me a little about your life outside of work?
I live in Coulsdon with my wife of 25 years, Elaine, and my daughter Rebecca, 26, who is an assistant film producer, and my son Thomas, 19, who is at Farnham University doing a degree in Animation. We have a dog called Penny and a cat called Leo. I enjoy most sports, travel, reading, and going out to good restaurants with family and friends.
7. Finally, why do you like working at Streetsahead?
I enjoy working at Streetsahead because Bob and Gary give the confidence to make decisions that will win the company business. They have a very open relationship with all the staff which means the company has a very close and strong culture to offer the best service possible. I have worked for some very good agents, but Streetsahead are just that –streets ahead of the rest!
Contact Patrick Donnelly at patrick.donnelly@streetsahead.info or call 020 8655 4783
