Voices in Property -Jane Cronwright-Brown

Welcome back to our quick-fire spotlight on industry leaders and entrepreneurs in Property.

In this edition, Jane Cronwright-Brown Executive Coach, Mentor & Facilitator power30 shares personal insights and experiences with anyone who may be currently working in or aspiring to join the London property industry.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Becoming the first female divisional head on the newly formed UK Board of Savills in 2013, when Savills L&P (Land & Property) merged with Savills Commercial to become Savills UK. There were 17 divisions at the time, and every other head was male, so it was quite daunting, and a moment I felt very proud of.

I am just as proud of what the division went on to do. Lettings was a very small part of the business when I took it on in 2005. We grew the division from 17 offices to 70 and the team from 70 to 475, along with substantial commercial growth, and put Savills Lettings on the map, both within the business and across the industry.

What was your first property job and how did you get it?

A lettings negotiator for Anscombe & Ringland in Notting Hill, part of the Chancellors group. I was working in Harrods at the time, selling designer womenswear, and was introduced to their Head of Lettings. I had an interview and was offered the job on the spot. I said yes immediately, and stayed in the property industry for over 30 years.

What motivates you?

Doing a great job and exceeding expectations, whether that is beating targets or delivering something better than the client thought possible. That has not changed now that I coach. What I enjoy most is watching someone exceed their own expectations of themselves.

What's your best advice for preparing for an interview?

Do your homework. Research the company, research the person you are meeting, and find out as much as you can about the role. Where do your skills match, and where are the gaps? What do you need to do to prove you can bridge them?

If it is an estate agency role, know the area you will be working in, what presence they have online, and how many properties they are selling or letting. Be ready to offer an idea of how you would develop business. If it is a role you are experienced in, know your numbers. What you billed last year, your average fee. Never make anything up.

Then practise with someone who can interview you. Get used to hearing your own voice, listen carefully, answer the question, and do not ramble. Smile and enjoy it.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

I would have been at the Royal Ballet School, and there were definitely times when I wanted to quit. So I would tell myself not to. My ballet director used to say that whatever we chose to do after we left the course, we would go to the top. That turned out to be absolutely true. 

So keep going when things are tough, and you feel like giving up. That is where you learn the most. Be brave, learn from the best, aim to be the best, and work for the best.

Which leader, entrepreneur, founder, or CEO inspires you?

Ian Stewart, my first boss at Savills. He believed in me and pushed me to be better than I thought I could be. He was a class act, and I learned so much from him. He believed in under-promising and over-delivering. His advice when I joined Savills as Head of Lettings was to "win hearts and minds before making any changes". He was very wise, and I still pass those words on to the leaders I coach now.

Your best deal?

Letting a beautiful, newly refurbished house on the Phillimore Estate for £5,000 per week when I was running Chestertons lettings in Kensington. It was a huge project which we had overseen, and I had been closely involved in, so there was a lot of pressure to let it at the price we had said we could achieve, which was a record at the time. The house was around 7,000 square feet and had a ballroom on the top floor. It sold in 2022 for £26.5m.

What's your favourite restaurant?

Currently Fallow in St James's. I am obsessed with their mushroom parfait. Although if I am honest, we are also rather partial to a Five Guys delivery, and I love their vanilla milkshake.

Apple or Android?

Apple

Find out more about power30 here and connect with Jane Cronwright-Brown here. 

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