Q&A: Five minutes with Simon Zargar, director in Turley’s Midlands team

How did you join the property industry?

After completing an MA in urban regeneration in 2007, I secured a place on the Drivers Jonas graduate scheme. Having been a fascinated spectator to the transformation of my home city of Birmingham in the 1990s, I was immensely proud to get the opportunity to be an active participant in its next generation of change.

What does your job entail?

My focus is working directly with developers, local authorities and stakeholders to not just deliver transformational planning permissions but actively support their delivery. This covers a broad range of sectors, ranging from landmark urban buildings that have/will change the city’s skyline, such as the Octagon for MEPC/CDL and 2 Snowhill Plaza for HUB, through to nationally significant economic schemes such as the East Midlands Freeport.

What do you like most about the industry?

The opportunity to contribute to a lasting physical legacy in the built environment and spearhead projects that will transform the lives of local communities over the coming decades is incredibly exciting. Being able to do it in the places that mean the most to me is particularly special.

And what do you dislike most about it?

The compromise between ambition and reality. I grew up playing Sim City and if only development were that easy. I’ve seen so many amazing projects unable to get past the drawing board, particularly in recent years, due to ever-rising costs and economic uncertainties.

What is your favourite building?

The Space Needle in Seattle. I love ‘Googie’ architecture, which is both retro and futuristic, encapsulating 1960s atomic age optimism. The Space Needle is a poster child for that style and an icon for a beautiful city.

Who in property has inspired you?

My colleague Angela Reeve, a senior director at Turley. She interviewed me for my first graduate job and then 15 years later interviewed me for my first director job.

She has been a shining role model for what inspiring leadership should look like, all while spearheading some of Birmingham’s biggest planning projects.

If you weren’t in property, what would you be doing?

The day I accepted my graduate scheme place, I was offered a permanent job at Cadbury. Definitely a ‘sliding doors’ moment. Perhaps I’d have been the Brummie Willy Wonka by now.

What would you change about the industry?

The ever-increasing bureaucracy. Every year comes a new drive to ‘cut red tape’ or simplify the system, yet it’s more complicated and time-consuming than ever. The result is ever more work for local authorities on ever-reducing budgets, which is good for no one.

What challenges have you overcome?

In 2013, I took a year off to travel and broaden my horizons before a move to London. Leaving Birmingham and the connections I’d forged was daunting, but it forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me overcome ‘imposter syndrome’ worries.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Working on the Paradise redevelopment in Birmingham. Securing the outline planning permission was a great achievement, but to see it be delivered and to walk the streets and spaces I saw being sketched out all those years before has been particularly memorable.

What advice would you give someone starting a career in the property industry?

Get yourself out there. Go out to events and build your network naturally – you’ll be amazed where connections forged over drinks might lead over the course of your career.