Jan Dale is the founder of Newcastle and Durham-based estate agency Urban BASE. The firm works with clients across the North East on residential sales and lettings.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)? I hope you are sitting down, it was £10 per week and it was working with Sir Frank Nicholson at Vaux helping a super inspiring lady called Lesley Williamson who assisted entrepreneurs set their own businesses up. Little did she know the enormous impact she had on me.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business? I have been given so much good advice from both family and friends, as well as the business community I am very fortunate to be part of at Durham Business Group. The icon that is Mike Lynch advising basics such as keep every receipt, to RMT Accountants introducing me to a business advisor Ross Golightly who taught me how to let some business go. I heard a new quote only today: ‘You can’t reach for anything new if you hold on to too many yesterdays.’
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What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? Technology has made a major impact on the property agency, with Matterport remote video tours, and CGI creative support for off-plan development schemes. There also remains a massive shortfall of quality housing, the sheer demand for new homes, and the industry still not meeting the national requirements to build 300,000 new homes a year. The planning departments appear to need more workforce to support more local development.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work? The pandemic was rather terrifying for everyone – and I was no exception. We were one of the first industries Boris agreed could return to work, and the unknown of how safe this was created a new level of resilience to stress. However, it also showed us a new way of remote working, and empathy with clients needs at what is typically a stressful time now being even more stressful by a pandemic. The ‘being kind’ era was a nice period in time for the industry.
Who is your role model in business? I massively respect the lovely ‘Mr Chocolate’ Angus Thirlwell. Angus has shown tenacity and ability to adapt his chocolate farm in changing markets to be successful, and kind, in a very competitive global arena. Angus is obsessive about chocolate like I am in property.
What would your dream job be? I genuinely enjoy every day and have a superb team around me supporting some truly great clients – most days are a dream, no two are the same, and most are really enjoyable - La Dolce Vita. Perhaps the same dream job in Provence, Urbaine Chataux.
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What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector? Make friends from the array of professionals within the industry and support the industry with professionalism to be the best in a challenging and changing industry.
What makes the North East a good place to do business? I believe we have strong support from our local authorities to attract new investment, and new business to our region as seen with recent attraction at Vaux and Helix. Combined with the genuine friendliness of the region, there is not a better place to live or work.
How important is it for business to play a role in society? Our business has grown on our involvement throughout communities and charities we support. This year alone we have supported Sunshine Foundation, Willowburn and St Cuthbert's Hospices. We are also on the board of Lumiere 2023, and on the committee for Dunelm Foundation, combined with Beamish Museum Corporate Friends, and Ad Gefrin Museum Members in Wooler. We have an active social engagement at many levels.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I would like to say golf, but I may be challenged on that by a little white ball or surveyor friend Aidan McCaffery who may suggest after Rudding Park that I am delusional.