Learn about Land at Hamptons

Meet Rocco Archidiacono , Associate Director of Hamptons' Land division, and find out more about this growing area of Hamptons' Residential Development business.

1.?????? Explain your role at Hamptons

I look after the business development and land offering across the Hamptons New Homes network. The business development side consists of finding, nurturing and building relationships with developers who operate within our playing areas. Typically, this involves offering consultancy services such as sales and marketing advice on a developer's pipeline of sites to help them maximise returns.

Working closely with our regional New Homes 'hubs', I identify potential development opportunities and look to be instructed on the disposal of those sites, either to an existing or a new client.

I am also on hand to advise developers who have already gained planning permission to help them prepare for build and ultimate sale.

2.?????? What does a ‘typical’ day look like?

There is never a ‘typical’ day as such! However, if there had to be, it would consist of a team meeting in the morning, followed by deal progression / client calls on prospective sites. From there, hitting the road and heading off to a potential site to meet the owner and look around the site to see if it’s viable. All whilst taking 'hands-free' calls in the car, before heading back to the office and catching up on emails. Depending on what day of the week it is, a catch up pint with a client tends to finish the day off!

3.?????? What’s been your career highlight?

The network of developers I’ve been able to build over the last 5 years since re-joining Hamptons, resulting in countless instructions and new business.

4.?????? Tell us about a memorable land deal

We were instructed to dispose of a freehold building in Chelsea which had no planning and was the last building on the road which was owned under one title.

Working with the local branches and the wider Residential Development team, we went out to a selective list of parties who we knew would be interested in purchasing the building without any planning in place.

We ended up securing an off market sale to a developer who we had been trying to do business with for a number of years, and got the vendor a fantastic price.

The process took a little over 12 weeks from when we sent out the brochure to the developer completing on the purchase, and it went without a hitch.

The vendor was extremely impressed and grateful for our approach as the building had been on the market for over 12 months with a competitor before we stepped in. Our ‘off market’ approach insured that we were solely dealing with developers we knew would perform.

Safe to say the developer went onto instruct us on another apartment he was in the process of selling too.

5.?????? What can Hamptons offer that other land agents can’t?

Our approach separates us from other land agents across the industry. We tailor our approach to each vendor’s needs. Whether they are a large institution or an accidental land owner, we can offer them different routes to market to suit their requirements.

Some agents have a tendency to blast things far and wide - which can be warranted - but we prefer to take a more tailored approach.

Being able to offer a development off-market is testament to the strength of our network of developer relationships. We can do a deal quickly, without going to the open market. Developers like that sense of exclusivity.

Our Development Consultancy team is an added bonus for clients, as we can help them draw up a maximised scheme, giving them confidence in the site's potential.

When it comes to sales and marketing, the power of our 90-branch network kicks in. Our Sales and Lettings teams work together to ensure a potential buyer or investor is guided through the purchase process from start to finish.

6.?????? What one piece of advice would you offer someone looking for land right now?

At the moment, the main piece of advice I would give is to make sure your funding is water tight. Lending is proving to be difficult and expensive, so you want to make sure that you have everything in order before proceeding. Always check to see that the criteria hasn’t changed. This can eat into the timeline and even risk losing the deal.

7.?????? How do you unwind?

I like to unwind by going for a long dog walk and leaving my phone at home. I enjoy being outdoors, whether it’s in the garden or on Wimbledon Common. A good pub within walking distance also helps with the unwinding process!!