As the new face of the Club’s New Build proposition, I’m delighted to announce a series of virtual events under our ‘Sparks’ umbrella that will be focused upon different aspects of the new build market.

You will need to sign-up to a free BrightTALK account to register and join the sessions – click on the links below to register your place.

Can’t attend on the day? No problem, register your place anyway and you can then watch it on-demand after the live broadcast at a date and time that suits you.

In conversation with Savills –

Friday 1st October, 12.15pm

Join me as I discuss the state of the new build market from the estate agent perspective with Gaby Foord, Associate Director at Savills, a frequent contributor to our past new build forums. Gaby and I will discuss the emerging consumer trends, the impact of the various government schemes in operation, and what the future of the market looks like.

how does it work? –

Wednesday 6th October, 10.15am

In June, the government launched the First Homes scheme, their new initiative to help first time buyers get on to the property ladder. It provides an alternative purchasing solution for house buyers as other schemes such as Help to Buy are phased out.

As a brand-new scheme that is still in its infancy, its important for brokers to be aware of how it works, and how it specifically differs from other new build schemes in the marketplace. This panel session will look at how the scheme is progressing so far, how lenders are supporting it, and what will be the role of the broker in helping make the scheme work over the long-term.

Our panellists are:
• Andy Nelson, Head of Operational Policy, Homes England
• Andrew Dean, Head of Intermediary Support & New Build, Nationwide
• Andrew Mason, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Housing, Lloyds Banking Group
• Douglas Cochrane, Freelance Housing Delivery Consultant

Monday 18th October, 10.45am

Earlier this year, the government launched the Help to Build scheme to make self-build more accessible and affordable. The scheme is a £150 million government fund allowing for low-deposit mortgages through equity loans on self and custom build homes and aims to help people build or commission a house that meets their specific needs.

This panel session will discuss how the Help 2 Build scheme works and how it is impacting the wider new build market. This area of the market has seen considerable legislative change over the past few years, so the panel will examine how that change is progressing in practice. We will also look at the types of lender support available for the self-build and custom-build market, as well as identifying what opportunities are available from a broker perspective.

Our panellists are:
• Jasmine Smith, Business Development Manager, The Melton Building Society
• Tom Molloy, National Account Manager, Mansfield Building Society
• Stuart Bryce, National Relationship Manager, Buildstore