Explore every episode of the podcast Top CREdentials

In this episode we talk to Fred Schwass, General Projects chief development officer, about his unusual pathway into commercial real estate development via the New York fashion scene and how he landed his first role at Faena Hotels. Fred explains his decision to return to Europe a decade ago to become the first employee at London-based General Projects, and describes his work since restoring heritage buildings across the capital, including JD.com's new UK office headquarters.

In this episode we speak to Ker Gilchrist, head of investment management UK at Patrizia, about his more than 30-year career in property and the importance of developing strong relationships with colleagues and clients. Gilchrist talks about cutting his teeth at some of the world's largest real estate consultancies, before "moving client side" more than a decade ago. He also discusses his current role, where he looks closely at risk, and what is needed for core capital to return to the market.

In this episode we speak to Kelly Cleveland, British Land's head of real estate and investment, about her more than 20-year property career and the REIT's conviction in London office campuses. She also explains why AI firms' growing need for space is an 'absolute positive' for the capital, and talks through its assembly of a £3 billion retail park empire.

In this episode we talk to Andy McBain, senior vice-president at the British Council for Offices, about his journey from office products to projects over a more than two-decade-long career in the sector. Andy also unpacks his key takeaways from the BCO's annual conference and explores the rise of experience-led offices.

In this episode we speak to Lesley Davison, managing director of capital markets at real estate asset management firm Delancey, about her work on acquiring the London Olympic Village for redevelopment and how she would use AI to fix the 'planning logjam'. Davison also talks about returning to the business where she 'grew up' and rocking out with property colleagues.

In this episode we speak to Jesal and Nilesh Patel, brothers and principals at commercial property firm Prideview Group, about the advantages of working as a family and the group's expansion into a Marylebone office this year. They also preview the business's charity cricket tournament, where teams will be play alongside former pros, such as Ashes-winning England captain Michael Vaughan.

In this episode we speak to Alexandra Houghton, head of commercial at Carter Jonas, about her career advising local authorities and central government on their property portfolios and how she balanced a full-time career with competing at world triathlon championships. She also reviews this year's UKREiiF conference amid all the political goings-on and talks about brushing shoulders with George Clooney.

In this episode we speak to John Knowles, head of capital advisory at Colliers, about his experience of working in "fast-paced" Hong Kong and why fortune will favour the brave for those willing to invest in regional offices. He also explains the rise of 'dequity' and why the next 12-18 months will be a curate's egg for the property investment sector.

In this episode we talk to John Gravett, chief executive of Cluttons, about his early career working on property acquisitions for telecoms giant Vodafone and his journey to the top of one of the UK's oldest chartered surveyors. He also shares his views on the current state of the planning system and explains how he was inspired by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

In this episode we talk to Nick Maclean, president of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, about the initiatives being introduced by the body to rebuild the trust of the profession after independent reviews into its governance earlier this decade. He also shares his view on the potential implications of the Middle East war on commercial property markets, having worked in the region for 21 years setting up CBRE’s office.

In this episode we talk to Lisa Gledhill, managing director of national partnerships at Muse, about her role in driving the regeneration of towns and cities across the UK after spending part of her career in Singapore. She also discusses how she prepared for management roles and shares tips for staying resilient in a "high-pressured, high-paced" industry.

The theme of suicide is discussed in this episode. If you've been affected by the issues in this podcast, you can call the Samaritans hotline on 116123 in the UK, or internationally, go to befrienders.org.

In this episode we talk to Nicolas Boffi, Mipim director, about his transition from city planning to events planning and what delegates can expect from this year's Cannes meeting, including the launch of a data centre summit and mobile app. He also outlines his vision for Mipim Middle East.

In this episode we talk to James Dunne, head of UK living at Cushman & Wakefield, about his more than 25 years of experience in the property sector, including his work helping major retailer John Lewis fund and develop its build-to-rent platform. He also discusses the attractiveness of residential assets amid supply-demand imbalances.

In this episode we talk to Jeff Pearey, a leasing expert who retired as senior director, UK regional office agency at JLL in August. Jeff reflects on his 40-plus years working in the property industry and outlines the changes he has seen across office markets like Leeds and Newcastle. He also explains what he has in common with petrolhead Jeremy Clarkson.

In this episode we talk to Melanie Leech, the British Property Federation's chief executive since 2015, about her unconventional route into commercial real estate, what the federation would like to see in the upcoming autumn Budget and the benefits of its merger with two other lobby groups. All this and a Donald Trump quote about real estate feature in the episode.