Why were you keen to join CapitalRise?

CapitalRise attracted me from a professional development point of view. It gave me an entrance back into the refurb and development space, obviously alongside the bridging [loan] work that I’ve built my career on. I’m also very impressed by the deep firsthand knowledge in this sector, with this being a lender built by developers.

You’ve progressed rapidly in your career – how have you found this within property? And, as a woman working in a male dominated industry, do you think more needs to be done to create opportunities for women in property?

I’ve had to work very hard to prove myself, especially as a younger woman in the industry. I always felt like I’ve had to over prepare, and make sure my competency is above that of my male counterparts. Women are often under more scrutiny than men in this industry, so we tend to be more resilient.

[In terms of creating more opportunities for women in the industry] there are two key areas for me that need improvement.

First, more grassroots-level investment is needed in training and recruitment for women. Importantly, this shouldn’t just be for admin roles so we can avoid pigeonholing women into certain careers. And second, representation needs to be improved at the most senior levels, ensuring more women are in the room when key decisions are made.

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In terms of new relationships, which areas of the market are you keen to work on?

We’re keen to continue specialising in the prime central London market but we are increasingly broadening our geographic focus. In the past 12 months, 44% of our loans originated outside of London and we are expecting to increase that number.

We have a few drivers to be optimistic about - for instance I’ve worked in the South West and have contacts there, we have a £250m bank funding line we brought on at the end of 2023 and overall CapitalRise has a keen appetite to lend on a case-by-case basis.

What are you hearing in conversations with contacts about their outlook for the market?

Everyone thought 2024 was going to be a bumper year but it hasn’t been. However, people are still seeing opportunities in the market, there’s a rise in new development projects, more refurbishment projects etc.

There’s a lot of global uncertainty coming up this year, with elections and macroeconomic risks around the world, which we will have to keep an eye on.

And finally, what advice would you give to young women who want to get into the industry and succeed?

The first thing I would say is it is possible. The advice I’d give is where you can try and find a female mentor. If you can find a female mentor, then grasp on because they will be able to guide you through the industry far better than anyone else.