Becoming an industry leader means changing the way things are done for the better.
Samantha Massey FRICS FIRPM has been in the property industry since 2003. Having started out as a Property Manager, she has since risen through the ranks, becoming a Fellow at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and acting as Vice Chair at the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM).
In June 2022, Sam took on her biggest challenge yet and established SAMAS Property Management, a new kind of managing agent aimed at reinvigorating the experience of customers in the residential sector. Alongside SAMAS, she co-founded Doyenne in Property, a group for women in leasehold to connect, grow and learn together.
As an industry expert and business owner, Sam continues to lead the way for women working in property management. We sat down with her to discuss SAMAS, Doyenne, and the challenges still faced by women throughout the industry.
What inspired you to launch SAMAS Property Management, and what do you do?
“Owning my own business has been a lifelong dream of mine. SAMAS embodies all the values I’ve held throughout my career that have made me successful. At SAMAS, we are passionate about property management and excellent customer service, but the absolute most important thing is communication.”
“SAMAS is 100% transparent with its customers. We teach people to read leases, and educate them about the leasehold system. People are very often kept in the dark about how decisions are made in their block. We help them feel more comfortable and informed regarding the upkeep of their space, and at the same time provide managers with the support they need to run the property in a safe, cost-efficient way. We may be a young company, but we continue to trailblaze, and there is definitely a bright future ahead of us.”
What made you want to create Doyenne in Property?
“I started my career in Block Management in 2003. I was in a junior position, and I found the training I was offered very limited. There were also very few female role models in my company, and across the industry more broadly. I felt like I couldn’t relate to the people who were in power, and without those relationships it can be difficult to find your feet.”
“I wanted someone to look up to, someone who could embody my goals and aspirations, but I was also looking for peer recognition. I wanted to see people who looked like me, other women of colour, thriving in the same professional capacity. Instead, it was a boys club.”
“I wanted someone to look up to, someone who could embody my goals and aspirations, but I was also looking for peer recognition. I wanted to see people who looked like me, other women of colour, thriving in the same professional capacity. Instead, it was a boys club.”
“I’ve now been working in Block Management for over a decade, and the absence of women continues to be an industry-wide issue. It’s quite noticeable when you go to industry events, there are very few touch points directed toward or tailored for women. That’s why I founded Doyenne.”
Where did the idea for an all-female space come from?
“The idea came about on a girl's night out. My friends and I were socialising, talking freely about our work, the industry we were in, our ideas and concepts for the future, and it dawned on us that we could only speak so freely in the female space that we had created for ourselves.”
“We wanted to open that experience up to all women in the world of leasehold and block management. We started Doyenne in London, where we began running events for women in business to come and make connections. We aim to create an informal atmosphere where women can socialise and be themselves, which is why we don’t allow recruiters to attend.”
“The first few events were a big hit, and we look forward to setting up more in the future. Our Cardiff ambassador recently ran a hugely successful wine tasting event - it was great seeing everyone enjoy themselves, and it was so exciting to see Doyenne extend its reach further out of London and into the rest of the UK.”
What do you think the future looks like for women in property management?
“Our work is far from done. Doyenne events give women a safe space to discuss ideas, aspirations and anxieties - now our mission is to empower them to have the same level of confidence in their daily lives.”
“It’s no surprise that women have less professional confidence in male dominated industries. Imposter syndrome can really hold ambitious, creative, intelligent women back from their full potential, and it’s something that Doyenne continues to tackle. For many of us, there is the broader issue of diversity - we need to see more women of colour holding positions of power if we are really going to even the playing field and make the property industry an inclusive space for everyone,”
Sam concludes.
👉 Want to discover more about Sam and her accomplishments? Check out the SAMAS Property Management website, or get involved with Doyenne In Property.
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