This week our agency team are celebrating New Homes Week, a week-long celebration of new-build properties. We caught up with our Head of New Homes, Ella Pearson, to find out more about her role and to gain a greater insight into what it is she does as the head of our new homes team, how her role has evolved since she joined us and what it is she does outside of work to unwind.
It’s obvious that Ella is always on the go, whether she’s travelling the length and breadth of the country for her role or spending time with her family, there is rarely a minute when she is standing still! Ella joined Fisher German in May of 2018 and before joining the firm, Ella worked for Bidwells as a Sales Executive within their new homes team based in their Cambridge office.
Ella explained how this role provided her with invaluable experience within the new homes sector and allowed her to realise her passion for new homes and working with developers. She said: “Working within the new homes team at Bidwells enabled me to explore different opportunities within the market and hone my skills when dealing with clients. Spending time working out of Cambridge but being involved with projects across the country made me realise that I enjoyed playing a part in a national programme of developments, which paved the way for where I am today.”
Ella’s days usually consist of attending meetings with a wide base of developer clients, often in different parts of the country. Ella also creates and reviews marketing strategies to ensure they are best suited to reflect the ever-evolving market and often undertakes pricing exercises on behalf of both developer clients and our development agency team. Each week she dedicates time to identifying new opportunities and ensuring that the team are delivering the highest possible level of service to our clients.
Ella added: “There are lots of days when I’m out of the house early to go and visit clients across the country and it is a tricky balance to manage this side of my role with the research and office-based work. I’m always mindful about checking in with my team to make sure they are supported and have everything they need - luckily, they are great at what they do so they often just crack on and get the job done without needing me!”
Ella’s work keeps her very busy and requires huge amounts of commitment. She has the same desire to succeed as she’s had since she started her career in the industry. It’s clear that she has a real passion for new homes and not just the physical buildings that are created, but the communities and opportunities these developments deliver. Ella said: “Without a doubt, my favourite part of the job is seeing the transformation of a site from an arable field or other land to a new homes development which has a thriving community. It’s such a satisfying feeling being able to look at a development and know that I’ve played a role in helping build this community and make it somewhere where people can bring up their families and make memories. That’s honestly an amazing feeling.”
As with all roles, there are challenges, Ella explained that one of the main challenges she faces in her role is to maintain healthy sales rates on new home sites in the face of a challenging property market. She said: As with pretty much every other business in the property sector, we’ve been battling against a slowdown in the number of people wanting to move and buy new homes. The high interest rates of last year meant that some simply couldn’t afford to move home so sales were affected. The team have worked hard with our developer clients to introduce innovative solutions to counter this challenge and I am pleased to say that we are seeing the market become more active again following a change in interest rates which has made it more affordable to borrow again.”
Outside of work, life is just as busy – at home, her husband, young son and two labradors take up much of her time. Ella enjoys spending as much time as possible with her family and friends when she’s not working.
Asking Ella what her proudest achievement was she said: “Outside work, it has to be my son - watching him grow and develop is a feeling that I can’t compare to anything else. I’m sure all parents will agree with me that this is something that makes us all so proud. Whilst at Fisher German I’d have to say that what I’m most proud of is how the new homes department has become a profitable and successful part of the business. Since I set it up five and a half years ago, with the support of our agency teams, it’s great to look back and see how far we have come.”
Ella spoke about her professional and personal ambitions for 2024, she said: “From a professional perspective, I’m hoping to continue to build on the relationships we have with our clients, create new relationships elsewhere and cement the new homes team as a nationally recognised outfit. If we could be seen as a top-five agency team in all the areas we operate, that would be fantastic and I think we are well on the way to this already!
On a personal note, I am looking forward to spending time with my family, watching my son grow up and enjoying a few holidays together so we can get away and make some memories. I want to get back to the family home in Cornwall and spend time with everyone there too.”
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