Voices in Property - Peter Whyte

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

In this edition, Peter Whyte, Head of Data, Systems and Analytics at Hamptons 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?

Building and scaling a business, but particularly the people within it. I grew a relatively small team into a substantial national operation and an eight-figure business, delivering significant growth along the way. But the bit I’m proudest of is the people. Ten years later, I found myself working alongside some of them in senior roles, while others have gone on to do brilliant things elsewhere. Seeing people you recruited, backed and developed find their own path and succeed is incredibly rewarding.

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

I joined Foxtons in 2005 as a Move Consultant. It was tough, enormously competitive and completely different to anything I’d experienced before – but what a place to learn. I was fortunate to work around some exceptional people who have since become significant figures in the industry. Rik Waind was my first boss and is now CEO of Betterhomes in Dubai, while Sam Mitchell later went on to lead Purplebricks. There were plenty of others too. Looking back, it was an extraordinary training ground and a great place to cut your teeth in property.

What motivates you?

A difficult problem. I love a challenge and the opportunity to make something better – growth, change, building things and finding solutions when the answer isn’t immediately obvious. That might mean scaling a commercial operation, delivering an eight-figure transformation programme or taking on the challenge of chairing my local rugby club. Give me something complicated that needs improving and I’m generally pretty happy.

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

Do your homework, but don’t rehearse yourself into becoming somebody else. Understand the business, know the three or four things you’ve genuinely achieved that demonstrate why you can do the job, and ask good questions. And remember that an interview works both ways – you’re deciding whether you want to work with them just as much as they’re deciding whether they want to work with you. The best interviews feel like conversations rather than examinations.

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

People think about you far less than you imagine they do, so worry less about what everybody else thinks. Do things that scare you occasionally. Life is finite, so enjoy the moment rather than constantly looking for whatever comes next. And buy Bitcoin.

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

Sir Richard “Dicky” Evans. I grew up watching the rugby he helped bring to Penzance and it was genuinely inspirational and formative for me. He built his success in Kenya through horticulture and fresh-produce exports, and later luxury hotels and travel, while continuing to invest back into Cornwall. I really admire that combination of entrepreneurship, ambition and giving something back.

Your best deal?

Probably convincing a business to make an eight-figure investment in a major technology transformation. It involved building the commercial case, bringing together people with very different priorities and securing support for a programme with significant long-term commercial upside. Not a traditional property deal, but certainly the biggest thing I’ve ever had to sell.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

Lusty Glaze in Newquay. Great food, an incredible setting right on the beach and somewhere that holds a lot of very happy memories for me. I’ve spent some brilliant times there over the years and it’s one of those places that always feels special when I go back.

Apple or Android?

Apple. I’m not necessarily a fan of everything they do, but I love the philosophy of putting the user at the centre of the product. When they get it right, the technology almost disappears and just makes life simpler – which is what all good technology should do.

Find out more about Hamptons here and connect with Peter Whyte here.

Collins Property Recruitment is a business with a purpose: to enable talent and businesses to meet and do great things together. We make this happen through an unrivalled network, a values-led, consultative approach and a hard-earned reputation as the go-to recruiter in property.

Should you have any enquiries, email us at info@collinspropertyrecruitment.com or give us a call on 020 7435 0309.