What do you currently do?
I’m the managing director of Home Management Group. We deal in sales, lettings, property management, student accommodation and block management providing an honest, ethical service to all our clients throughout the UK.
What was the inspiration behind the business?
Throughout my career in the industry, I became jaded by the same-old, often poor, standard of service offered by high street agents. I wanted to provide a better level of service, where possible delivering savings to customers, offering an ethical approach to commercial and residential property lettings.
Who do you admire?
The person I admire most in the world is my father, David Jarvis. As a young man, he started in business from scratch, and he’s still going strong now at 68. He’s also responsible for giving me the housing bug. Ever since he used to take me to work at his business when I was a little girl, and I would sit and play atestate agents in a spare office, I knew I was destined to go into the property world. Before I knew it I was at university studying for a degree in sustainable communities – and I have my dad to thank for it all!
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Everything I have learned through my career, I have learned on the job. And actually, I’m quite glad that I’ve had some terrible experiences along the way, because you take something away from everything, and sometimes the bad experiences are the ones which help us to develop the most. So, no, I think everything happens for a reason in business, so I wouldn’t change a thing.
What defines your way of doing business?
At Home Management Group, above all, we are driven by our strong moral compass and sense of ethical responsibility, something that, in our experience, is quite rare in the sector. We strive to give the highest level of service, developing our company and networks not just through our relationships with stakeholders and clients, but by developing friendships with them.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Get as much experience as you possibly can. There are lots of things in this industry, which you just can’t learn from a book – negotiating, advising, and networking. Do as much as you can and in as wide-ranging a selection of sectors as possible – cover all bases, builders, developers, estate and lettings agencies.