The co-CEO at part exchange and home buying service experts Spring, Samar Shaheryar, talks us through her successful career journey.
Please tell us a little about yourself and your role?
I am the co-CEO at homebuying and part exchange firm, Spring. In 2018, I joined Spring to consult on marketing, becoming the chief operating officer in 2019. In January 2023, I started my role as co-CEO alongside my colleague Shane Miller-Bourke with the aim of taking Spring to the next level in terms of market share and profitability. My role involves the responsibility for strategy, growth and our financial performance, while also creating a culture that allows our company to thrive. More specifically, the lead generation aspect of the company reports to me including our relationships team, customer experience team and marketing team. I am passionate about the people side of the business, with a strong belief that if your employees are thriving, your company will too. Along with Shane and Cormac Henderson, our executive director and co-founder, I sit on the board and executive team of Spring.
Have you always worked in property, and what got you into the industry?
My career has been varied and diverse, which has kept me on my toes. I spent the first 10 years working in investment banking at JPMorgan in New York, where I grew up. In 2012, while living in Hong Kong, I founded an e-commerce, manufacturing-based social enterprise, where I learned how to operate a business and how to harness the potential of digital marketing. I have loved learning from so many different types of businesses – it allows me to bring a diverse perspective to my work, which is a competitive strength.
It wasn’t until 2018, when I first joined Spring, that I got into the property industry. I have been able to bring my varied skills together from finance, to marketing, and operational excellence. I love the accessibility of the industry and how important it is to everyone’s day-to-day life.
Do you have a ‘typical’ day?
The only typical part of my day is the beginning. I’m a morning person because that is the only time my house is quiet. I read for 20 minutes every morning with my coffee, then exercise before the household wakes up. If I have the time, I meditate – a practice passed on to me by my father, who has been a Zen Buddhist for 30+ years. After that it is managing chaos for the rest of the day.
Have there been projects/mentors that have been particularly fulfilling and influential on your career path?
My very first boss, Margaret Cannella, at JPMorgan was incredible. She was tough – there were a lot of late nights – but she also gave me far more responsibility than I deserved at a young age and left it to me to either step up to it, or not. She continued to champion me through my time in banking which gave me confidence and a desire to keep improving. A good mentor is such a gift, especially early in one’s career.
Has your career success been ‘organic’, or have there been lots of formal training and qualifications to lead you to your current position?
As organic as it gets. I’m a life-long learner – I love books, which are such a great gateway to worlds and ideas beyond my own. If I’m lacking inspiration or stuck on a problem, I usually reach for a book which sparks the thinking I need.
With the ups and downs of the property market – especially over the last year – has your role changed a great deal, with new challenges?
Great question – it has. As the market has turned from bull to bear and it has become harder to sell one’s home on the open market, part exchange has become a more important tool for developers to manage their ROI and cash flow. At the same time, we’re buying homes in a declining market. So, we have more business than ever, but also must be better at managing our risk, as by the time we are able to sell the homes we buy, the market has usually moved against us. We have become tighter than ever on costs and are adjusting our working process to reduce waste in our customer journey, wherever possible.
Have you had a favourite moment in your career, or been inspired by a particular project or person?
I loved working on the rebranding of National Property Trade to Spring. Since entering the homebuying industry, it was apparent that a truly customer-centric company was needed. We carried out customer surveys, learned about their biggest concerns with their experience and changed how we operated, from how we incentivise our team, to adding much needed transparency in the homebuying process. And that transformation continues as the market changes and customer’s needs change – we focus on staying dynamic and innovative, and, most importantly, listening to what our accounts and home sellers are telling us.
What are your career ambitions?
Right now, I’m completely focused on making Spring one of the best property companies to work for in the UK as well as the most profitable.
If someone is looking at starting a career in the property sector – whichever discipline – do you have any advice for them?
My advice would be to always keep your customers at the top of your mind. How can I solve their problem? How can I make this journey easier for them? Getting a real understanding of your customers and truly caring for them will always lead to success. In addition, I would also encourage you to think about what it means to be a good employee. At Spring, that means being proactive – to take on a new project, to learn a new skill or notice a process that doesn’t work and choose to raise it with management. You will get noticed and go further, faster.
