Croydon Housing Summit 2026Mario Carrozzo opened a sandwich bar by East Croydon station selling around 50 sandwiches a day. He left school with four GCSEs and no degree. In 2008 he lost everything, carrying £20m of bridging loans and personal guarantees. Six years later he walked into a Mayfair hedge fund boardroom and walked out with over £300m of investment, for social housing.This is his full keynote from the Croydon Property and Housing Summit 2026, on building a business in the part of the property market most investors ignore, and on housing more than 20,000 people the system had written off.Caridon Group is a private social housing provider managing around 2,000 properties across London and the South East, Bristol, Harlow and Crawley.ABOUT THE SUMMITThe Croydon Property and Housing Summit 2026 brought together investors, developers, housing providers, planners and policymakers shaping the borough's future. Mario spoke alongside:Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of CroydonHoward Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and GrowthCllr Lynne Hale, Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor of Croydon and Cabinet Member for HomesRichard Plant, Chair of Develop Croydon and Partner, Head of Development Consultancy at SHWAdam Smith, Strategic Development Director, Unibail-Rodamco-WestfieldSusmita Sen, Corporate Director of Housing, Croydon CouncilSarah Parsons, Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration, Croydon CouncilSPEAKERMario Carrozzo, founder and CEO, Caridon GroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariocarrozzo/INSIDE CARIDONYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InsideCaridonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caridon-property-services/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caridonproperty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caridon.property/X: https://x.com/CaridonPropertyWebsite: https://www.caridongroup.co.uk/podcast/---#InsideCaridon #CroydonProperty #SocialHousing #UKProperty

Three quarters of all suicides in the UK are men. Most of them never said a word.At Caridon's Mental Health Awareness Week's big brunch, CEO Mario Carrozzo and a special guest Sound Healer Tarun Hari Das (Trevor)talked about depression, loss, and what workplaces consistently get wrong.This is the conversation most offices still aren't having.Mario shares his own experience of severe depression and financial loss, and reflects on a former colleague he lost to suicide. Tarun Hari Das, sound healer and mental health advocate, opens up about his own suicidal crisis and the journey that took him from the music industry to the Himalayas. Caridon HR sets out the mental health support available to every employee, from trained first aiders to counselling sessions through Health Shield.Why 84% of employees faced mental health challenges last year, and what workplaces are still getting wrong. The four pillars of self-value that determine whether someone's mental health holds or collapses. Simple habits for the working day that reduce stress without needing budget or senior sign-off. Why men in particular stay silent, and what that silence costs. What a company can genuinely offer its people beyond a day of awareness.If this resonated, share it with someone who needs it. Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 is about action, for yourself, for someone else, for all of us.If you or someone you know is struggling, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit mind.org.uk.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction00:30 Mario on depression: what it actually feels like02:10 Men and mental health: the numbers04:09 A colleague Mario lost to suicide06:05 Tarun Hari Das: from music to the Himalayas10:00 The four pillars of self-value14:20 What Caridon offers its employees15:38 Team ideas for workplace wellbeingGUESTTarun Hari Das (Trevor) — Sound healer and mental health advocateWebsite: https://www.transcendingmatters.com/CARIDON GROUPLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caridon-property-services/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caridonproperty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caridon.property/X: https://x.com/CaridonPropertyWebsite: https://www.caridongroup.co.uk/#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAtWork #MHAW2026 #UKMentalHealth

Corporate estate agents keep 10% of every commission they earn. eXp agents keep 70% and 100% after they hit their annual cap.Mario Carrozzo, CEO of Caridon Group, sits down with James Hughes, Director of James Hughes eXp and agent of the year 2025, to break down why the traditional high street agency model is under financial pressure and what the self-employed brokerage model offers instead.They cover the full commission structure, why independent agents sell 90% of their listings against the industry average of 25%, what eXp's network across 30 countries means for referrals and international deals, and why Caridon with nearly 2,000 properties and close to half a billion pounds in guaranteed rents over 15 years is adding eXp to its operations.Got a question for a future episode? Drop a comment or DM on the platform where you're listening.Guest: James Hughes, Director of James Hughes eXpInstagram: jameshughespropertyFacebook: facebook.com/jameshughespropertyLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jameshughes543Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:30 Why the traditional agency model is broken02:42 Understanding eXp model and its global reach07:47 How sellers and landlords benefit from independent agents14:08 Why Caridon is joining eXp20:34 Advice for agents considering the switch22:08 Do boards still matter?25:09 Will high street agencies survive?30:44 Who should join eXp and who shouldn't33:49 AI and the future of estate agents

Inside Caridon Episode 5: The UK Property Reality CheckMario and Abbas break down what the 2025 Autumn Budget REALLY means for landlords, why Dubai property is booming, and how AI is transforming real estate management.We manage over £300 million in property assets across the UK and internationally. In this episode, we cut through the noise and give you the real insights you won't hear anywhere else.CHAPTERS:(00:00) Intro(02:15) UK Autumn Budget Breakdown(05:54) No-Win-No-Fee Lawyers & Landlord Pressure(07:20) Why Guaranteed Rent Is The Solution(07:53) UK vs Dubai: The Brutal Comparison(12:47) Where Caridon Is Investing Globally(14:40) AI Revolution in Property Management(19:02) Cultural Change: Getting Teams On Board(20:46) Christmas at Caridon & Social Impact(22:26) 2026 Predictions & What's Next(24:26) Q&A Announcement: Send Us Your QuestionsKEY TAKEAWAYS:✅ The 2% CGT increase = £200 on £10k profit (not the disaster media claimed)✅ Court eviction wait times now up to 1 YEAR in the UK✅ Dubai property market fundamentals remain strong despite correction fears✅ AI can 5X business scale with same team size✅ Caridon manages £300M+ across UK, Dubai, New York, and Italy✅ Guaranteed rent models de-risk landlord investmentsABOUT CARIDON:Caridon Property is a UK-based real estate investment and management company specialising in social housing, BTR (Build to Rent), and international property investments. We've housed over 25,000 homeless individuals and manage a portfolio exceeding £300 million across multiple countries.Our mission: Every penny invested changes someone's life.HOSTS:Mario Carrozo- CEO, Caridon PropertyAbbas Alidina - CFO, Caridon Property🔗 CONNECT WITH US:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caridon-property-services/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caridonproperty/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caridon.property/Website: https://www.caridongroup.co.uk/💬 SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS:Want us to cover your specific landlord scenario? Drop a comment or DM us. We're introducing Q&A segments and want to hear what YOU want us to discuss.TOPICS:#PropertyInvestment #UKProperty #DubaiRealEstate #LandlordAdvice #RealEstateInvesting #PropertyManagement #BTR #SocialHousing #AIinBusiness #PropertyPodcast #UKBudget2025 #GuaranteedRent #PropertyPortfolio #RealEstateTips

This special episode of The Caridon Weekly was created to honour Black History Month and to shine a light on the voices, experiences and leadership within our own team. Five colleagues from across the Caridon Group sit down for an open and heartfelt conversation about identity, pride, resilience and the realities of navigating professional life as Black men and women in the UK.They share stories from childhood to senior leadership, moments of prejudice that shaped them, moments of pride that lifted them and the leaders who inspired their journey. The discussion moves from representation and community leadership to workplace inclusion, cultural identity and the changes they hope to see in society and in our sector.At Caridon, diversity and social responsibility are not tick box exercises. They are values that guide how we hire, support, listen and create space for every individual to grow. This episode reflects the culture we strive for across the business. A place where people can bring their full selves to work and feel seen, valued and heard.Whatever your role or reason for tuning in, you will gain something from hearing these lived experiences.https://www.caridongroup.co.uk/podcast/(00:00) Introductions & What Pride Means
(02:08) When did you stand firm in your power?
(04:20) What does true leadership look like?
(07:37) Have you felt pressure to hide your identity at work?
(12:29) When have you felt proud as a black professional?
(16:39) How can workplaces genuinely celebrate cultural pride?
(21:35) Who inspires you and why?
(26:53) What would seeing someone like you in leadership have meant?
(34:32) What changes do you hope to see?
(40:10) What advice would you give the next generation?
(41:48) Final thoughts, quotes & book recommendations