Blogs

Oona Collins Founder & Director at Potential Plus International shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Thinking about a career in block management? Collins Property Recruitment breaks down the qualifications, salary and career path to becoming a block manager in the UK.

Leal Ignatius, Director of International at Hamptons shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Jeremy Leaf, Principal of Jeremy Leaf & Co shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

The CPR Cup 2026, our flagship charity five-a-side football tournament for the property industry, raised an incredible £25,000 for Canine Partners this year, our biggest turnout yet. Twenty teams from across the residential property sector joined us at Powerleague Battersea for a day of football, sunshine and friendly competition, all in aid of the charity, which trains and places assistance dogs with people living with physical disabilities, Canine Partners. Record turnout for London's property charity football tournament This year's field was our largest to date, bringing together familiar faces from Savills, Foxtons, Carter Jonas and Chestertons alongside first-time entrants Fine & Country, Harding Green and London House. Twenty teams in total took part: Auction House London Beauchamp Estates Benham & Reeves Carter Jonas Chestertons I Chestertons II DDRE Global Dutch & Dutch eXp Realty Fine & Country Forsters LLP Foxtons Harding Green JLL Knight Frank London House MT Finance Park Lord Savills The Harkalm Group x Empty Property Hunters A dramatic final at The CPR Cup 2026 The knockout stages delivered plenty of drama, but nothing beat the final. The Harkalm Group x Empty Property Hunters found themselves 3–1 down against Foxtons with under a minute on the clock and somehow fought back to win 4–3, lifting the trophy on their very first CPR Cup appearance. Individual honours went to Austin Lipman, named Player of the Tournament, and Ashley Mann, who took the keepy-uppy competition with a remarkable 161 touches in 60 seconds. Thank you to our sponsors None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors this year, CC Land and Forsters LLP, whose backing helped make the 2026 tournament our biggest and best yet. Raffle prizes and awards Alongside the football, this year's raffle was bigger than ever, with every penny raised going straight to Canine Partners. Huge thanks to the companies who donated prizes: A pair of Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses - Oliver Goldsmith Four tickets to Lord's Cricket Ground - The Harkalm Group A Fortnum & Mason picnic hamper for two - MT Finance A vineyard tour and tasting for four guests - Balfour Vineyard A magnum of champagne - Berry Bros. & Rudd A Weber BBQ - Collins Property Recruitment Six bottles of Babylonstoren Rosé 2026 - Dutch & Dutch On-pitch prizes were just as generous: our tournament champions won corporate BBQ catering for up to 50 people from Meat Street BBQ , plus a session for up to 12 at TOCA Social. Our keepy-uppy winner walked away with a pair of custom football boots hand-painted by sports artist Jordan Dawson , our top goal scorer took home a £50 Megan' s voucher and a Pact V60 brew kit, and our Player of the Tournament, Austin Lipman, received a Theragun, donated by Prime Resi. Food on the day No CPR Cup is complete without the food, and this year Meat Street BBQ raised the bar on the rooftop, serving up incredible barbecue that had players and supporters going back for seconds all afternoon. A huge thank you to the team for keeping everyone fuelled between matches. Industry reactions to The CPR Cup 2026 The reaction from teams and supporters has been fantastic: "A brilliant event for a great cause, and it was truly inspiring to hear first-hand how Canine Partners' dogs make such a positive impact on people's lives. Thank you to Barry and the team for organising such a fantastic event, which was bigger and better than ever this year." - Sameer El-Sebai , Foxtons "The team had an absolute blast, and so did all of our supporters. Congratulations on putting together such a fantastic event with our peers – it was a brilliant way to bring our own group together while raising support for such a worthwhile cause." - Daniel Daggers , Founder/Advisor, DDRE Global "A fantastic day and an incredible amount raised for Canine Partners. Who knew you could get so many estate agents together without any brawls or gazumping!" - Vidhur Mehra , Finance Director, Benham and Reeves "The CPR Cup 2026 provided a fantastic opportunity for us to bring people together from different areas of our business to collaborate and work as a team, in a fun, competitive environment with other property professionals. It was a wonderful day." - Lisa Simon , Partner & Head of Residential, Carter Jonas "Thank you for inviting us to take part. It was our first time participating, and the supporters and players all thoroughly enjoyed the day. The quality of food, drink and football was incredible." - Nicky Stevenson , Managing Director, Fine & Country "The CPR Cup 2026 was an incredibly well-run event from start to finish. Beyond the great weather and fantastic food, what really stood out was the amazing cause we were all there to support. The inspiring speech from the Canine Partners representative was a powerful reminder of why this tournament matters." - David Kingham, Bridging Operations Manager & Team Captain, MT Finance "The CPR Cup has been the most exciting event in my calendar for many years now, but this year was different — bigger, better, more competitive, with an electric atmosphere. Best one yet!" - Gareth Mawdsley, Advisor, London House "A fantastic day with a fantastic purpose. Huge thanks to Barry Collins and the Collins Property Recruitment team for bringing the industry together to support Canine Partners. Winning the trophy on our first appearance was, of course, just an added bonus!" - Adam Harvey, Founder & CEO, The Harkalm Group "The CPR Cup is an incredible event that not only raises vital funds and awareness for Canine Partners, but also brings together a community of like-minded professionals who want to build connections and help others in a unique and interesting way. These events would not be possible without its sponsors, who donate and support in so many different ways and often don't get the recognition they deserve - thank you for the difference you make." - Lucy Eldred, CEO of Canine Partners The CPR Cup 2027: save the date Planning for CPR Cup 2027 starts now, if this year is anything to go by, next year's tournament has a lot to live up to. Get in touch football@collinspropertyrecruitment.com if your firm would like to take part or sponsor next year's event. The CPR Cup 2026 was organised by Collins Property Recruitment in support of Canine Partners. Read the original coverage on PrimeResi.

Simon Taylor, Founder of Empty Property Hunters, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Charlie Wells MRICS, Managing Director of buying agency Prime Purchase, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

David Ronson, National Sales and Marketing Director at Bentry Capital shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Neil Sloam Managing Director of Winkworth St John's Wood, Maida Vale, Belsize Park & West Hampstead shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Lucie Hirst Founder & Director at Lucie Hirst Private Clients shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Benji Weinberger Advisor at DDRE shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Jo Eccles , Founder & Managing Director of Eccord shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Marc Von Grundherr director at Benham & Reeves shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Vivienne Harris MD and Owner of Heathgate Residential Estate Agents shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Nick Vaughan CEO of Southern Grove Group, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Charles Leigh Sales Director at Valouran, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Alisa Zotimova, Founder & CEO of AZ Real Estate & AZ Alliance shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Mark Wayne Director of Wayne and Silver, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

The residential property sector is finding it harder to recruit high-calibre young staff. The number of personable, quick with a handshake, comfortable in business dress on a Saturday morning Gen Z estate agents is in short supply. For an industry that depends on a pipeline of people to build relationships, bring properties to market and close deals, that is a problem worth taking seriously. The good news is that it is solvable. Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) is not avoiding a career in residential property out of indifference. They need to hear a story that speaks to what they are looking for. The case for working in residential property is stronger than you think Before addressing how to attract Gen Z, it is worth remembering why they should be attracted in the first place. Careers in residential property have qualities that young professionals genuinely value, but they need to be articulated clearly by those seeking to recruit. This is a career built on human relationships. At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping many industries, large chunks of estate agent roles cannot be automated. Someone has to sit with a nervous first-time buyer. Someone has to earn the trust of a family selling their home of thirty years. Gen Z knows that the jobs least at risk from technology are the ones that require emotional intelligence, communication and trust. Residential property is one of them. Those jobs are also neatly spread across the country, rather than having to move. A young professional might be able to rent, or even eventually buy, a property in an area which may not seem hugely desirable to those from older generations. For Gen Z they present an opportunity to build a life. There is also real earning potential, a genuine connection to one of the most significant financial decisions people make in their lives. For those who thrive there is a career trajectory that rewards performance rather than simply waiting in line. These are compelling arguments, but the industry needs to make them. Why they may not be applying (yet) Gen Z tends not to fall into careers or workplaces. They research them, and in detail. Before applying for any role, the high calibre young professionals you want to recruit will have looked at your website, checked Glassdoor, scrolled your social media and searched for your company name on LinkedIn and Reddit. If what they find is vague, dated or unconvincing, they will move on. The competition for their attention from tech, sales, media and marketing is fierce. Many career choices work out as ‘happy accidents’. As a recruitment narrative for a generation that tends to plan its next move carefully, it is not enough. Gen Z needs to be able to see a deliberate path into property. The authenticity test For Gen Z, glossy claims mean very little. A values statement in large letters on the wall of the estate agent only registers as noise. What Gen Z responds to is evidence. A short video of a 23-year-old negotiator explaining what their first year actually looked like (with all the hard bits included) will do more for your recruitment than any amount of polished marketing copy. Authentic testimony from real people, showing real progression, is what builds trust with this generation. They are exceptionally good at spotting the difference between genuine and manufactured, having had a lifetime of filtering thousands of marketing messages a day on their phones. This is not a reason to be anxious. It is an opportunity. If your organisation is a good place to work and people grow within it, show that. If your values mean something in practice, demonstrate it. The organisations that do this well will find it significantly easier to recruit. Two strategies that will make a real difference These are not theoretical suggestions. They are drawn directly from my research, and my own experience working with Gen Z and employers. 1. Be ultra-clear That means about the role, the reality and the money. When a customer wants a viewing they will not want it with an estate sitting at home talking them through the property on the phone. Gen Z will not fill in the gaps themselves. They need to know what a typical week looks like, what the commission structure is, what the base salary is during the early months and how performance is measured. Ambiguity does not read as professional to this generation, it reads as evasive. Show them a structured career progression. ‘The sky’s the limit’ is not a career path. Gen Z wants to know what the next eighteen months look like, what milestones matter and how performance opens doors. Map it out and make it easily available, in writing, from the moment someone considers applying. 2. Give them the ‘real world’ skills you need to see Fewer young professionals have had experiences of physical workplaces than you might expect, and that includes from their time at school. Hundreds of thousands of Gen Z are already registered on Companies House as a director of a limited company. That can be done from home and not in a physical, multi-generational workplace. The truth is that some of the entrepreneurial young professionals with a flair for sales who may have come your way in the past, have now set up businesses on their own. Whilst in the past estate agents might have been able to identify young candidates who already had the skills to sell in person, now it is not always so easy. An interest in selling is a good start, and past experience of doing so (even if online) is even better. As employers you might find yourself feeling incredulous about whether you should really have to teach a new recruit x, y and z. The truth is that in the modern age if you want a Gen Zer to have the skills, you are likely to have to teach them. You might have to squint a little harder to see if there is potential or a flash of personability you can do something with, and you will have to do more with them to get them up to speed. If you invest in Gen Z, expect to see results. Their academic record indicates they will learn if the resources are there. That needs to be accompanied by comprehensive onboarding and attention to every workplace skill. The firms that adapt their recruitment approach, their onboarding, their communication and their culture to meet Gen Z where they are will not just solve a staffing problem.  They will build a workforce that is motivated and well-equipped for the demands of a changing market. This is not about lowering standards or abandoning what works. It is about understanding a generation that has more to offer than the headlines suggest, and making sure your organisation is the one they choose. By Alex Atherton , author of The Snowflake Myth: Explaining Gen Z in the Workplace and Beyond , keynote speaker on Gen Z and the multigenerational workplace and former secondary school headteacher.

Adam Phillips Founder of Phillips Harrods, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Orly Lehmann, Real Estate Advisor of DDRE, shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Alex Casaki, Director of Dalham Management, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Oliver Ingles, Advisor at DDR, shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Sue Fisher Head of Residential Development, Greater London and Country at Hamptons shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Nicholas Cowell, Director at Cowell Group shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Sian-Louise Tangney, Director at UK Sotheby's International Realty shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Jon Byers, Managing Director of Anderson Rose shares his journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Becky Fatemi, Executive Partner at Sotheby’s International Realty UK, shares her journey and advice for anyone entering the London property and real estate industry.

Gary Hersham, Owner of Beauchamp Estates, shares his journey, insights, and advice for those in or entering the London property and real estate industry.