A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at June’s Crawley Property Meet.

It was another fantastic evening of learning, networking and sharing ideas, with a great mix of familiar faces and first-time visitors. Whether you’re an experienced investor, landlord, developer or just starting your property journey, it’s always encouraging to see our local property community coming together to learn from one another.

If you couldn’t make it this time, we hope to see you at our next event!

Featured Speaker: Sheila Smith

A big thank you to Sheila Smith, founder of BeHomed, for delivering an engaging and thought-provoking presentation, “What if your next tenant was also your buyer?”

Sheila explored how modern rent-to-own models are providing an alternative route within today’s housing market – helping landlords achieve smoother exits while giving aspiring homeowners a realistic pathway towards owning a home.

Drawing on real-life examples and her experience working with landlords, developers and investors, Sheila demonstrated how flexible ownership models can create opportunities for all parties in an increasingly challenging market. Her presentation sparked plenty of discussion and gave attendees a fresh perspective on how property transactions might evolve over the coming years.

Resident Expert Highlights

We also heard some great insights from our Resident Experts:

David Lucas – Coversure Molesey

David shared the latest insurance insights for property investors, highlighting the importance of making sure insurance arrangements keep pace with changing legislation, property strategies and market conditions. As always, his practical advice reminded us that having the right cover is an essential part of protecting any property investment.

Wayne Greenway – Greenway Associates

Wayne shared practical insights into architectural design, planning and development, discussing how thoughtful design and careful planning can help unlock additional value from property projects. His session encouraged attendees to think beyond the obvious and consider how design decisions can maximise the potential of a site.

David Farmer – Lime Finance Solutions

This month’s finance update included an overview of the latest lending market.

Highlights included:

  • The Bank of England voted 7-2 to hold the base rate, suggesting any reduction may still be some way off.
  • Commercial investment lending remains broadly positive, with improving confidence in sectors including offices and retail.
  • Lenders continue to show growing appetite for financing HMOs, serviced accommodation and short-term lets, giving investors an expanding range of funding options.

If you’d like to revisit any of the insights shared on the night…