I invited Sophie to be this weeks Notable Property Person as she has a very innovative web site, www.yours2share.com, which enables people to share, not only property, but also other things too. Here is her story.
1. Please introduce yourself. Say a bit about yourself and your company
Passionate about sharing, I founded www.yours2share.com in 2006 to enable people to find like-minded partners with whom they can create private syndicates. yours2share enables people to share just about any valuable asset, from property, boats and cars to dogs, gardens, pools and even handbags. Fractional ownership and fractional rental of property (fractional rental includes renting second homes and Monday to Friday rentals) are major yours2share categories.
2. How did you first become involved in property?
Through yours2share. But the driver for yours2share was a wish to share our second home. We wanted to find another couple who would use our cottage as a second home for two or three weekends a month. No-one seemed to cater for this, so I created yours2share and my understanding of sharing assets grew from there.
3. What do you think is your greatest achievement so far?
Creating yours2share, a focal point and recognised brand for sharing major assets such as property.
4. Do you or your company have any exciting plans for the future?
Yes, we are in discussion with several potential partners to take yours2share forward. Over the next six months there are likely to be some big changes which will lead to many more people sharing property.
5. What do you think are the greatest problems facing the private rented sector today?
The greatest that I perceive is a lack of flexibility. Many more ordinary people need a second home: to visit children living with an ex-spouse, to visit elderly relatives, or when working on contract away from home. They are looking for flexible cost-effective alternatives to living in a hotel or bed and breakfast, or sleeping on a mate’s couch.
6. What do you think are the greatest opportunities?
Encouraging sharing of course. Whilst ensuring that the partners are like-minded means that the matching takes longer, these contracts are more likely to last longer.
7. We may shortly have a new government. What would you like them to do for the private rented sector?
Leave it alone.
8. Do you use social media (blogs, twitter, LinkedIn etc)? What place do you think it has in the future of the property industry?
I use Twitter www.twitter.com/yours2share, Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/yours2share/39474356205, LinkedIn http://uk.linkedin.com/in/yours2share, ipatter http://ipatter.com/yours2share and have a blog www.yours2share.com/blog. Each has a different use and it takes time to work out exactly how they are best used for any particular business, but overall they are about creating conversations with customers and partners. And they are very powerful.
9. What is the most important lesson you have learned during your time in property?
Just how much profit property developers make
10. What advice would you have to someone thinking of entering the property industry today?
Consider where you would like to live and how you would like to be treated
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