Welcome back to Reinventing Real Estate. In this episode, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Mark Slatter, Chairman and Founder of Olympian Homes, one of the UK’s most experienced living-sector developers. 

From joining the Royal Marines at 17 to building Olympian Homes into a specialist living-sector developer, Mark shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, resilience and long-term business building. Drawing on experiences from a near-death helicopter incident in Norway to multiple real estate downturns, he explains why calm decision-making, trust and the ability to assess your options are essential in all walks of life. 

The conversation explores Olympian’s growth, culture and founding principles, from commercial discipline and team welfare to giving back and building trust through accuracy and consistency. Jenna, Jamie and Mark also discuss the future of Co-living, looking at why the sector is more than a high-density residential product and what it must get right across design, amenity, affordability, operations and community. This episode is essential listening for capital investors, developers and next-generation leaders interested in resilient leadership, long-term value creation and the future of the UK living sector.

Topics covered:

• Leadership lessons from the Royal Marines

• Building Olympian Homes over three decades

• Navigating recessions and challenging market conditions

• The evolution of PBSA, BTR and Co-living

• What good Co-living needs to get right

• Affordability, key workers and the future of urban living

• How planning could better support design quality and delivery

Stay up to date: Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes. For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates⁠

You can also listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube:

Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisAssociatesLondon⁠

----This episode was pre-recorded in May 2026. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

Welcome back to the Reinventing Real Estate podcast. In this episode, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Nadine Buckland, Co-Founder and CEO of Zenzic Capital, to explore what it really takes to build and lead a business in real estate finance. 

With more than two decades of advisory and investment experience, Nadine shares the story behind launching Zenzic and growing it into a respected real estate credit platform focused on bespoke financing solutions across the UK and Europe. But this conversation goes far beyond markets and capital. It is a candid discussion on entrepreneurship, leadership, hiring, delegation, imposter syndrome and the realities of scaling a business through uncertainty. 

Nadine reflects on the gap she spotted in the non-bank lending market, why founders cannot do everything themselves, and how culture is shaped by ambition, trust and the willingness to make hard decisions. She also speaks openly about building strong partnerships, backing people on merit, and why authenticity is one of the most underrated advantages in business. 

This is a thoughtful and honest episode for capital investors, developers, and future founders looking to understand what sustainable growth really looks like behind the scenes. 

Topics covered: 

• Why Nadine founded Zenzic Capital and the opportunity she saw in real estate credit  

• What building a business really looks like behind the glamour  

• The difference between people who want a career and people who want a job  

• Hiring, leadership and the challenge of making the right calls as a founder  

• Why strong business partnerships rely on trust, self-awareness and complementary strengths  

• Managing conflict, backing the right people and building deep relationships  

• Imposter syndrome, confidence and leading authentically as a woman in real estate finance  

• Why real estate should back more talent on merit, not just pedigree

  
  

  Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.

  
  

  Stay up to date:

  👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

  
  

  👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

  
  

  👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube

  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

  • YouTube: ⁠https://youtu.be/3J6J4XsAg3k⁠

  
  

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  This episode was pre-recorded in March 2026. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and policy may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

In this episode, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Jo Winchester, Co-living and PBSA consultant, executive coach, and former Executive Director in Valuation at CBRE. Jo brings more than two decades of experience across valuation, student accommodation and the living sectors, alongside a growing practice focused on co-living needs assessments and coaching for property professionals.

Topics covered:

- Jo’s journey from PBSA valuation into Co-living

- The data and demand drivers underpinning the sector

- Planning strategy, local storytelling and making the case for Co-living

- Affordability, single-person households and the shortage of small homes

- Valuing sui generis versus C1 co-living models

- Leadership, coaching and career fulfilment in real estate

- Why policy and industry need to work more closely together

This episode is essential listening for capital investors, developers and living-sector professionals looking to better understand the future of Co-living, the affordability pressures driving demand, and the human side of building a meaningful career in real estate.

Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.

Stay up to date:

👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

• YouTube: https://youtu.be/3J6J4XsAg3k

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This episode was pre-recorded in February 2026. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and policy may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

Welcome back to Reinventing Real Estate. In this episode, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Ed Ellerington, Founder & CEO of Packaged Living, to challenge one of the industry’s biggest assumptions: that success in real estate has to follow a linear path.

Ed shares why he's sceptical of the default school → university → work conveyor belt, what he learned by taking on responsibility early, and how the right sponsors can unlock entrepreneurial talent faster than any qualification. He also breaks down what “intrapreneurship” really looks like and why tough markets are the ultimate training ground.

We dig into Packaged Living’s platform strategy: building track record through development, scaling into investment management and moving into operations - the hardest part to get right and the one that tests whether you’ve truly built a durable product.If you’re investing, developing, or building a career in Living real estate, this episode is a playbook for staying creative, resilient and decisive through cycles.

Topics covered:

- Starting a business at 15 and scaling through grit and timing

- Sponsors, mentors and why they change outcomes

- Rethinking university: apprenticeships, school-leaver routes and non-linear careers

- Intrapreneurship: driving change inside a corporate

- Why challenging markets produce better operators

- Packaged Living’s growth strategy

- How to build partnerships that last through cycles

Stay up to date:

👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on Spotify.

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

• YouTube: https://youtu.be/TIFzl0qzHsM

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This episode was pre-recorded in December 2025. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

Welcome back to Reinventing Real Estate. In this episode, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Ed Ellerington, Founder & CEO of Packaged Living, to challenge one of the industry’s biggest assumptions: that success in real estate has to follow a linear path.

Ed shares why he's sceptical of the default school → university → work conveyor belt, what he learned by taking on responsibility early, and how the right sponsors can unlock entrepreneurial talent faster than any qualification. He also breaks down what “intrapreneurship” really looks like and why tough markets are the ultimate training ground.

We dig into Packaged Living’s platform strategy: building track record through development, scaling into investment management and moving into operations - the hardest part to get right and the one that tests whether you’ve truly built a durable product.

If you’re investing, developing, or building a career in Living real estate, this episode is a playbook for staying creative, resilient and decisive through cycles.

Topics covered:

• Starting a business at 15 and scaling through grit and timing- Sponsors, mentors and why they change outcomes
• Rethinking university: apprenticeships, school-leaver routes and non-linear careers
• Intrapreneurship: driving change inside a corporate- Why challenging markets produce better operators
• Packaged Living’s growth strategy
• How to build partnerships that last through cycles

Stay up to date:

👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.-

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/⁠-

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates⁠

👉 Listen on YouTube or Apple Podcasts :

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisAssociatesLondon
• Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579⁠

----

This episode was pre-recorded in December 2025. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

In the latest episode of Reinventing Real Estate, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with Marcus Weeks, Director & Head of Living at Firethorn, to explore what it takes to scale conviction-led Living strategies in tougher market cycles - blending entrepreneurial speed with institutional discipline.

Marcus shares the unfiltered story behind his journey, from the import-export business he built at just 15 years old to the leadership lessons that shape how he builds platforms today. As the youngest guest to join the podcast, he offers a candid perspective on earning trust early in an industry that can still default to “time served” over talent.

The conversation spans leadership, culture, hiring, investor alignment and the realities of delivery - alongside what Firethorn’s Living strategy looks like in practice.

Key topics include:

• Building and scaling Living platforms when the market turns

• How Marcus leads a young team: pace, ownership, and delivery discipline

• Hiring beyond the CV — what he looks for in high-performing talent

• Why investor alignment is won (or lost) in the day-to-day sponsor relationship

• Setbacks that sharpened his approach, and what tough cycles reveal about operators

• Firethorn’s thesis on platform-building across the Living sectors

“Marcus brings a refreshing mix of pace, clarity and real delivery focus,” said Jamie Harris. “He’s built credibility early by staying close to the fundamentals - product, people, partnerships, and his perspective on platform-building in today’s market is both timely and sharp.”

If you’re developing, investing, operating, or building a career in the Living sector, this episode is a clear-eyed framework for how to lead, deliver, and keep conviction when conditions get tough.

Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.

Stay up to date:

👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on Spotify.

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

• YouTube: https://youtu.be/TIFzl0qzHsM

----

This episode was pre-recorded in December 2025. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

In the latest episode of Reinventing Real Estate, hosts Jenna and Jamie Harris sit down with James Whidborne, Head of UK Residential Fund Management at Edmond de Rothschild REIM, to discuss what it takes to build resilient residential portfolios. 

With more than 20 years’ experience across Build to Rent (BTR), PBSA and European commercial real estate, James brings a measured perspective shaped by market cycles, early-stage innovation and long-hold thinking.

From his early career at Savills Investment Management, where he was responsible for two residential funds alongside a strategic land fund, to joining Edmond de Rothschild in 2016, James reflects on how lessons from the Global Financial Crisis continue to shape his approach to risk, capital and long-term value. He goes on to challenge conventional asset class boundaries, arguing that student housing, Co-living and Build to Rent should not be treated as separate silos, but as closely related forms of multifamily living, anchored by demand rather than short-term trends. 

Key topics include:

• Why PBSA, BTR, Co-living are variations of multifamily, not separate asset classes

• The investment case for mid-market and affordable housing built on demand, income resilience and longevity

• Lessons from the GFC on capital structure, debt negotiations and decision-making under pressure

• Why “amenity-light, location-heavy” strategies often outperform over-amenitised schemes

• The growing importance of on-site management, operational data and brand loyalty in BTR

• Why the next decade of UK real estate will be defined by repricing and repurposing, not new development

• Career reflections on patience, passion and why real estate is a long game

“James brings a rare combination of technical depth and long-term perspective,” said Jamie Harris, Co-Host of the Reinventing Real Estate Podcast. “His experience across cycles and his clarity on what genuinely drives value makes this a hugely relevant conversation for today’s market.”

With thoughtful reflections, practical insight and a clear-eyed view on where capital needs to be braver, this episode offers a grounded framework for navigating the UK’s evolving Living Sector and a reminder that long-term success is built on conviction, not noise.

Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.

Stay up to date: 

👉  Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

• YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisAssociatesLondon

----

This episode was pre-recorded in April 2025.  Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

In this episode of Reinventing Real Estate, we sit down with David Hirschfield, Group Managing Director of Galliard Homes, London’s largest privately owned residential developer and one of the most influential players shaping the future of the UK Living Sectors.

David shares his remarkable journey from corporate real estate lawyer to joining Galliard as their first in-house Legal Director, before rising to Group Managing Director. Through candid conversation David reveals how legal training can be a powerful commercial advantage, how regeneration has become part of Galliard’s DNA and why long-term partnerships built on trust continue to fuel the company’s growth.

Together, they unpack:

• The evolution of Galliard’s vertically integrated model
  

• How regeneration-led development is transforming cities like Birmingham and Bristol
  

• The resurgence of forward funding and institutional capital
  

• Why PBSA, Build to Rent, Co-living and single-family housing are increasingly converging
  

• The impact of AI and technology on future development strategies
  

• And more…
  

Whether you’re an investor seeking clarity on market direction, a developer navigating today’s challenging environment, or a future leader looking for inspiration, this episode delivers strategic insight, practical wisdom and a compelling look inside one of the UK’s most dynamic property groups.

Tune in to hear how Galliard is redefining regeneration, building communities at scale and staying ahead in an evolving real estate landscape.

Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.

Stay up to date: 

👉  Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!

👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/

👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

• YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisAssociatesLondon

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This episode was pre-recorded in June 2025.  Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.

In this episode of Reinventing Real Estate, Jenna Harris and Jamie Harris are joined by Dominic Butler and Neil MacLeod, Founding Partners of Halcyon - one of the most exciting names in London’s Co-living scene. From their beginnings as lawyers at Nabarro, to helping shape the early days of The Collective, and now leading an award-winning development company with over 800 Co-living units delivered and 1,400 more in the pipeline, Dom and Neil share their journey, philosophy and blueprint for the next evolution of urban living.We explore:- The evolution of Co-living - how the sector has matured from concept to institutional-grade asset class and where it’s headed next - Halcyon’s development philosophy - pairing design-led, community-focused schemes with commercial discipline- Sui Generis vs. C1 - examining the rise of C1 in Co-living delivery and the benefits and challenges of both planning routes- Design intelligence - why a perfectly planned 18 sqm unit outperforms a larger, less efficient one- Operational excellence - lessons from Folk and how energy management, data and retention define performance- Investor Insights - strong demand, exceptional retention and the road to yield convergence with BTR- Partnership and purpose - why Halcyon only builds with aligned capital and aims to leave a lasting legacy in LondonIf you’re an investor, developer, or forward-thinker exploring the living sectors, this episode offers a masterclass in how to build Co-living that’s smart, scalable and sustainable.Follow, subscribe and join the conversation as we continue to reinvent real estate.Stay up to date: 👉 Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes!👉 For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

What happens when an acclaimed CEO within the hospitality industry takes the helm of a £1bn student accommodation platform?

Welcome back to Reinventing Real Estate, the podcast where industry visionaries reveal what’s shaping the future of property development and investment. 

In this episode, we speak with Duncan Garrood, CEO of Empiric Student Property -  the FTSE 250 owners of Hello Student. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, Duncan offers a masterclass in operational transformation, customer-first strategy and cultural agility. Duncan’s bringing a new mindset to UK real estate: build for people, obsess over service and brand like your business depends on it - because it does.In this episode, Duncan unpacks:

• Lessons from global B2C markets and how they apply to real estate and student living 
• The danger of “one size fits all” in housing. 
• The real opportunity with postgraduates and how Empiric is responding 
• The brand effect: how Hello Student is winning trust and referrals
• Why service, not square footage, defines the future of residential
• How to lead in moments of change and growth

If you’re a developer, investor, operator - or an aspiring CEO -  this is one for the notebook.Hosted by Jenna and Jamie Harris, this is a conversation full of insight, candour and big ideas for anyone serious about the future of real estate. 

Stay up to date:   Subscribe now to stay updated on upcoming episodes! 

For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harrisassociates/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisassociates/ 

Listen on Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reinventing-real-estate/id1707988579

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@HarrisAssociatesLondon

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This episode was pre-recorded in November 2024. Consequently, certain discussions regarding market conditions and interest rates may no longer reflect current circumstances. We appreciate your understanding.