Name: Tom Kibblewhite
Job title: Director, Proximity
What I do: I’m the co-founder of Proximity, a specialist chartered surveyor advising developers, funds, registered providers and investors on proximity risk. ‘Proximity risk’ is a term we coined when we launched the business a year ago as we felt it better articulates what we do than Neighbourly Matters, incorporating everything from rights of light to party wall. My day-to-day role is a mix of growing and developing our existing team, building the business and providing Proximity Risk advice to our clients. A typical day might start with an appraisal meeting with one of the team and quality checking a right to light risk profile report, before heading over to a site to meet with a client.
Why I got into the property industry: It started when I read a university prospectus and liked the sound of it. I was the first in my family to pursue a career in property; my mum is a speech and language therapist and my dad was a doctor. I studied building surveying and did some work experience with a local surveyor while I was at university. I was lucky enough to work with some very knowledgeable surveyors who also dealt with rights of light and I found it fascinating.
How I did it: I did a placement year at CIS Investment Property Department in Manchester and really enjoyed it. When I returned to Sheffield for my final year at university, I made use of some of the great contacts I’d made while on my placement and interviewed them as part of my dissertation. I kept in touch with the surveyors I’d interviewed, sent some CVs and landed my first job in the industry.
My first big break: Probably getting a job at Watts – now known as Watts Group. I was there for 19 years and had several brilliant mentors who were very influential in my career and the direction I took.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Navigating the financial crisis back in 2008 is definitely toward the top of the list. Things were very tight for a few years and everyone was concerned. Getting out the other side and developing a team was a real achievement; it felt like things were bumping along the bottom for quite some time.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: Proximity won the Insider Newcomer of the Year Award, which was a really proud moment. We’ve had a great first year, but as anyone who has started their own venture will know, it’s not an easy endeavour.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: The role of people skills is always under-estimated – the technical information only gets you so far; you have to be able to understand people and to see the bigger picture about what you’re doing and why. You can’t give good advice if this bit is missing. That’s the difference between being a good surveyor and an excellent surveyor – knowledge is intrinsic but it needs to be delivered in a way that’s appropriate for each individual client or project.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/one thing I would change: It’s frustrating that it’s still not diverse. There are moves to try and encourage a more diverse group of people into the industry but sometimes the routes in aren’t well publicised. There’s more we could all be doing to attract a different demographic into the industry and appeal to those who perhaps haven’t considered a role within real estate – it’s only by doing this that we’ll attract more diversity of thought and create new ideas.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Graham Hancock – a journalist who hunts for evidence of lost civilisations dating back to the last Ice Age; Wim Hof – also known as The Iceman – a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete, and the reason I have a cold shower in the morning; and one of my ancestors – it would be fascinating to find out about their life and whether I looked like them!
My advice for someone just starting out: Be interested in everything – you’ll widen your understanding of the industry and find the thing that really excites you. And do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.
