This week’s exclusive one-on-one interview is with David Laycock, development director at super-prime property developers Clivedale London, who tells us about his current role and the career path that has taken him there.
Please tell us a little about yourself and what got you into the housebuilding sector.
London has been my home for all my professional life – I love the City and real estate opportunities it offers. I wanted to pursue a career where you could physically see the results on the ground and not just on a spreadsheet – and one which was diverse, relationship-driven and meant working with both a creative and business community. Property delivers all of that.
What does your job involve?
I joined Clivedale London at its early stages, and we have grown to over 60 people within the group. This has meant in addition to the usual property related matters it has been an extremely varied role from IT expert (or not), HR, setting up the office and everything in between. The day job includes overseeing a team of property professionals who work across various disciplines from acquisition, planning, design, project and construction management, procurement and funding. We acquire development opportunities, and work with the best architects and supporting teams to negotiate the planning permissions before we build the developments out.
Working in the luxury space we are very focused on client lifestyle, and work with exclusive partners, such as Dorchester Collection and Mandarin Oriental, to create what we hope is a very bespoke and innovative offering. I also work with some of the most creative interior designers from across the globe. Given the complexity of constructing in London I have been pushing innovation in construction and encouraging the team to work very closely with suppliers, sub-contractors and our main contractors. We build a lot of very bespoke buildings and interiors so this level of involvement is crucial to deliver the quality our clients aspire to. So whether it’s a one-of-a-kind chandelier, bespoke structural frame or four-storey basement box, I am fully involved in it all.
What route brought you to your current role?
I quite enjoyed geography and was keen to go to university, so I chose Nottingham and enrolled to a Town Planning and Management course with a specialism in Urban Design. The four-year course additionally gained you accreditation to the Royal Town Planning Association, which was an added bonus. After a short period working as a new homes and land agent at Savills (and realising I was hopeless at it), I joined the town planning team at Savills, and subsequently GVA, for a number of years.
Whilst planning will always be something I enjoy I wanted to broaden my understanding of the property process and was fortunate to be offered a role at Ballymore – initially as a planning manager and then a development manager role. The projects were large and complicated but gave me all the experience I was looking for – especially in a sink-or-swim environment where I was given a lot of autonomy. I managed to retain my job during the 2008 recession and worked with the Ballymore team to manage itself out of trouble, whilst this was a very difficult time for many people, the experience was invaluable.
In 2012 I was approached by Clivedale’s CEO to work for him and build the London property business. At this stage Clivedale had one site; six years on, we have grown the portfolio to six developments.
Did you get support for your career ambitions?
I have been fortunate to have a very supportive family and while they don’t work in property, they never pushed me into a particular career choice. I do have a lot of university friends who work in the business and we have all supported each other over the years – luckily I have never had to be up against one of them in a dispute…yet!
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
If you work in property it’s almost inevitable that the most satisfying part of the job is creating products and buildings. I also really enjoy working to structure deals with our partners such as Mandarin Oriental and learning new things.
Is there something different about working for Clivedale than in previous jobs?
Yes, I run a team here so the role is quite different to my previous position – which was across a small number of projects. Ballymore has much larger-scale projects across their portfolio, and my role was much more involved in the regeneration of areas. This often went beyond the boundary of ownership and looked to work closely with agencies, such as the Mayor, to shape policy. While Clivedale does deliver multi-unit projects, they are in established locations and at a much higher price point. The basics of real estate remain the same but the emphasis is quite different.
Are there projects or accomplishments that you are especially proud of?
We have a very strong team of professionals at Clivedale, many of which I have employed directly. This is an exceptionally difficult thing to achieve in a competitive market but, we have a very strong and collaborative team who work hard, but who also like to have a good time as well.
Is there a secret to achieving a successful career in this industry?
Work hard and then work even harder. Despite what some people might say this is the only way to learn quickly and get recognised in the industry. It involves sacrifices but if you enjoy what you are doing it’s worth it in the long run. Never stop learning or get arrogant. Follow these basics and you should do OK.
What’s your advice to young people considering a career in housebuilding/construction?
There are so many roles within housebuilding and construction so find the one that suits you, talk to people in the profession, it’s a sociable industry and most people would be more than willing to give their advice or simply talk to you about their role and whether you might find that interesting as a career. Don’t worry about trying different things once you start your career. Find a business that works for you in terms of the projects and its culture.
