Jamie Cooke co-founded iamproperty in 2009 with a vision to modernise the property market with innovative, tech. He is now managing director of its auction service iamsold.
iamproperty is headquartered in Newcastle and employs over 350 people, working with over 4,000 estate agents across the UK.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)?
I got my first job when I was 15 back in Northern Ireland. I worked some evenings in a local pizza shop and took home £20 a shift. The best part was the free pizza at the end of the night.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business?
Look after your people and they’ll look after you. We’ve always lived by that. Our business is powered by innovative, forward-thinking people who share in our success. Attracting and retaining talent in our industry is competitive and to stand a chance you need to have a good culture.
What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing?
We’re just coming off the back of one of the busiest markets in a long time. The pandemic fast forwarded change in the industry by at least a decade in my opinion. All of our auctions moved to online and we won’t be going back to hosting physical auctions in the ballroom. We’ve pioneered the Modern Method of Auction (MMoA) for years now and it’s really come into its own the last couple of years with accelerated growth. More estate agents are offering auction to help them stand out in a competitive market and more consumers than ever before are choosing auction to buy and sell property, with May being a record month for us. One of the challenges we’re now facing is recruitment to keep up with our growth. We have more roles available today than ever before – it’s a really exciting time to join us.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work?
Introducing working from home is an obvious one. If you had told me five years ago our entire team could work from home, I wouldn’t have believed you, but it’s something we embrace now. We have a fully hybrid working policy. Our team can choose between working from home and our Newcastle office. They can also spend up to four weeks of the year working abroad as long as the time difference works. We trust our people to do what’s right for them and it works really well for our business.
Who is your role model in business?
I admire a lot of people in business, especially those who aren’t afraid to disrupt their sectors with innovation and do things first. That’s what we’re all about and I find it really interesting and inspiring seeing others do the same in their own way. Closer to home, the Northern tech scene has some brilliant business leaders I look up to.
What would your dream job be?
I’m happy with what I’ve got to be honest but if I had to choose another route I’d have probably worked in sales – I’ve got the Irish banter on my side! When I was younger my childhood dream job was to be a tree surgeon because I liked climbing trees, but it’s for the best I didn’t base my career around a hobby that didn’t last long.
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector?
My advice to anyone in this industry is to start at the bottom and learn as much as you can. It’s invaluable what you’ll soak up just by listening and paying attention to everything happening around you. Having empathy is also key to being successful. For most people buying and selling a property is an emotive experience and you need to be sympathetic to that. It can also be a stressful time and showing understanding goes a long way.
What makes the North East a good place to do business?
I love the North East. I moved here in 2003 for university and never left. It’s always felt like the right place to base iamproperty. The people have been the biggest draw for me on a personal and business level. They’re so friendly and hardworking and it’s our people over the years who have been fundamental in helping to grow the business to the scale it’s at now.
How important is it for business to play a role in society?
I think we should all be playing a role in society. We’re proud to be a growing business and creating more jobs for people all around the UK. Supporting local charities is always on for us too. Our charity of the year is Tiny Lives as chosen by our team. They do amazing things and we’re very thankful to be able to fundraise for them.
What are you good at outside of work?
Outside of work I love making a Sunday roast, that’s something I’m good at. I make everything from scratch, Yorkshire puddings, gravy and all the trimmings. Getting family and friends over to tuck in with a couple of glasses of wine is my ideal way to spend a Sunday. It also means I never get stressed about knocking up a Christmas dinner.
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