Portfolio Landlord and PRS Market Expert & Commentator

Richard manages his own London based portfolio of HMOs, single lets and commercial properties, bought mostly at auction. He has over 20 years experience as a landlord, former NRLA London Representative and has a particular interest in finance, policy, regulation and landlord tenant relations.

Richard has appeared in 76 episodes of hit USA property show Househunters International, presents the NRLA podcast 'Listen Up Landlords' and his latest Youtube channel 'Richard Blanco's Bite Size' features short films about popular London neighbourhoods. 

Co-Founder | ProperPR & Housing Market Commentator

Russell Quirk is well known in the property industry as both an estate agency boss and PR guru.

He’s been round the block a few times having run traditional and online businesses in the sector for over 25 years and is infamous for his opinionated and straight-talking stance on anything and everything property. He takes no prisoners.

He’s a regular pundit on housing matters for Talk TV, LBC and the BBC and is a founder panellist for TalkRADIO’s 'Plank of the Week’ on YouTube, a wry critique of media types that "are just asking to have fun poked at them", says Russell.      

Founder | Propenomix

Adam Lawrence's corporate career was in Wealth Management for boutique investment firms in Switzerland and also included a role as a cross-business consultant for one of the UK’s top 10 lenders. He also ran a betting syndicate for 5 years between 2006 and 2010.
Adam’s property career started in earnest in 2011 and since then he has been involved in over 550 UK properties, from flats purchased for £23k to portfolios of 91 properties at a time, and everything in between. The goal has been to buy at good value, add value, and then refinance and hold on - there has been some development, and sale, along the way but 90% has been to retain.
Interesting fact - he once defeated “Egghead” C.J. De Mooi in the tv quiz show “Revenge of the Egghead” (season 1 episode 29 if anyone wants to find it!).

Vice Chair & General Manager | Eastern Landlords Association

In addition to his ELA role James is a self‑managing rental portfolio owner, giving him both strategic and hands‑on experience of the Private Rented Sector. James leads ELA’s engagement with local authorities and policymakers and has been directly involved in negotiations around selective licensing and regulatory implementation. Most notably, ELA’s recent engagement with Great Yarmouth Borough Council on selective licensing resulted in multiple concessions on behalf of landlords, including a reduction in licence costs, fewer inspections, and the introduction of staggered payment options — demonstrating how structured, evidence‑led engagement can deliver tangible outcomes for landlords. He is known for delivering plain‑English, practical insight, cutting through complexity to help landlords navigate an increasingly regulated sector — often with a touch of humour.

Co-Founder and Director | Elliot Leigh

Leigh Young is a Director of Elliot Leigh, one of London’s leading guaranteed rent and social housing providers. He established the business in 2003 alongside Elliot Altman, recognising early on the potential for guaranteed rent schemes to play a meaningful role in addressing the housing crisis, bridging the gap between landlord certainty and growing Local Authority demand. Under his leadership, Elliot Leigh has grown significantly and now manages over 2,000 properties, having provided homes for more than 50,000 tenants. The organisation works in close partnership with councils across London to deliver safe, high-quality accommodation at scale, while offering corporate landlords and institutional investors secure income, full compliance management, and a truly hands-off solution across large portfolios.

In 2018, Leigh spearheaded the expansion of the business into supported accommodation with the launch of Elliot Leigh TLC, focusing on young people aged 16 to 25. This initiative combines quality housing with in-house social care, supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals in the community. Leigh is a strong advocate for housing as a driver of social impact as well as economic value.