The Forgotten Craft of Expertise

Over the past few days, I’ve spoken with some of the most experienced minds in the property industry—stalwarts who have shaped the sector through their insight, leadership, and sheer determination. These are people who have not only built businesses but have defined best practices, solved complex problems, and carried the industry forward. And yet, in 2024, they find themselves labelled as consultants, working independently rather than being strategically embedded where their expertise is most needed.

There is something deeply paradoxical about this. The very individuals who pioneered industry advancements now sit outside the formal structures that rely on their knowledge. The market needs them—lenders, insurers, technology providers, and estate agencies all face challenges that these professionals have already solved before. And yet, the system has not adapted to deploy their expertise in a way that makes the best use of it.

The Abandoned Orchard of Experience

I recognise the pattern because I’m in the same boat. On one Zoom call, I was the ‘consultant’ advising on a business that was, in many ways, built on principles I had championed. I could see the challenges ahead with absolute clarity—not because I had theorised solutions, but because I had already lived them. And the person I was speaking with—a seriously sharp industry heavyweight—was in the same position, tasked with fixing an organisation that could have benefited from this expertise long before the issues arose.

But why was he needed in the first place? Because the company had bled domain knowledge, lost through cost-cutting efficiencies that, on paper, made financial sense but, in reality, weakened the business. The very process designed to make it more profitable had left it less resilient, less future-proof, and ultimately unable to deliver the service it once could.

This experience is not unique. Time and time again, I find that the industry's best minds are operating in an almost fragmented, ad-hoc way—brought in when things are already off track rather than engaged early enough to prevent issues in the first place. Meanwhile, private equity, venture capital, and corporate ownership structures often fail to recognise the resource that sits right in front of them: a deep well of domain knowledge that, if harnessed correctly, could be transformative.

And yet, this expertise is being underutilised—still active, still valuable, but not deployed in the most efficient way.

The Overlooked Craft of the Cider Maker

Industry knowledge isn’t something that can be mass-produced, and yet, businesses keep trying. Like a well-crafted cider, it requires balance, the right mix of apples, and the wisdom to know what’s needed and when. But instead of blending expertise, too many firms are reaching for the equivalent of chemical cider—quick, cheap, and ultimately lacking the depth they need.

A skilled cider maker understands that great cider isn’t just about pressing any apples. It’s about selecting the right varieties, in the right proportions, at the right time. Some apples bring depth, some bring sweetness, and some—like the sharp crab apple—bring the acidity needed to give structure and balance. The best cider makers don’t just throw any apples into the press; they understand the nuances of each type and how they interact over time. They know how to ferment slowly, how to blend, and how to create something that stands the test of time rather than something rushed and forgettable.

The property industry, like cider making, requires this kind of mastery. The trees are still there. The apples are still growing. But without the right hands to pick them in the right proportions and blend them with expertise, the result will never be as great as it could be.

From Vision to Execution: The Solution is Here

I have built the solution. I know who to employ. The challenge is not identifying the talent or assembling the right mix of expertise—it’s securing the funding to bring it all together at scale.

Just as crafting the perfect cider requires a carefully balanced mix—ten buckets of one apple variety, half a bucket of another, and a few sharp crab apples—solving the challenges faced by lenders and insurers requires a precise blend of domain knowledge. No single consultant or firm can provide the full solution; instead, it must be assembled from the right talents, in the right amounts, at the right time.

Each of these stalwarts has a network of contacts. They know who needs help, and they know there is funding available to fix the very problems that have been created. The challenge is not a lack of resources—it is getting the companies that created these issues to recognise the need to invest in a real solution rather than funding the next short-term fix.

That could mean:

• Creating a structured knowledge-sharing network where experts are retained on a flexible basis to guide businesses proactively.
• Developing productised intelligence, where domain knowledge is embedded into tools and systems that make it easier for businesses to benefit from hard-earned experience.
• Forming cross-industry partnerships, particularly in areas like lending and insurance, where knowledge from the property sector can directly impact decision-making at scale.

A Call to Action

For those I’ve spoken with recently, know that I see the challenges you’re facing. I understand the frustration of watching businesses struggle with problems you’ve already solved. And I value your experience deeply, not just as something to be acknowledged, but as something that should be actively shaping the industry’s future.

This isn’t about nostalgia for how things used to be—it’s about ensuring that the industry doesn’t keep repeating the same mistakes simply because it fails to engage the expertise that is readily available. How many times have businesses paid to patch the same problem instead of solving it at the root?

I have the solution. The talent is there. The need is obvious. Now, the real question is: who is ready to invest in fixing the root of the problem instead of funding the next quick fix?

The trees are still there. The apples are still growing. The cider can be great again. But only if we recognise the value of the craft and blend the right expertise before it is lost entirely.

Edit.... If you have read this far and we are not yet connected, please connect; a machine learning system or a someone thought you should read this article. I want to understand what you're doing that is mutually symbiotic with what I'm attempting.