04 June 2025
At The FirstPort Group, we’ve regionalised our business to bring our customer service closer to the communities we operate across.
We are now split into four dedicated regions, each led by an experienced Operations Director. This structure allows our teams to take real ownership and tailor what we do to meet local needs, delivering better outcomes for our customers.
We spoke with members of our South West team about how this shift has made a tangible difference. From improved responsiveness to stronger customer relationships, the results speak for themselves.
Paul Rayment, Property Manager 
“I have 20 years’ experience in property management, having worked as both a Property Manager and Development Manager. Locally, we have an office and meet up regularly, and over the years, I have built a large contact base and call to gain and share information and knowledge. Keeping it local means easier assurance to customers with local staffing and contractors. For our colleagues, there’s the ease of site visits, less travel and urgent issues are dealt with quicker.”
Delia Sinclair, Customer Excellence Manager
“This is my first role in property management, and I have worked for FirstPort for just over four months. We collaborate closely within the division, with daily contact and weekly meetings between Property Managers and their Property Service Specialists. Our Specialists carry out monthly site visits with Property Managers to gain insight into the properties within their portfolios. The regional approach builds stronger relationships across teams, provides regional and localised knowledge of areas, communities and sites. It also improves communication and collaboration, ensuring consistency and leading to increased customer satisfaction.”
Emma Dore, Customer Excellence Team Leader
“I have been working in property management for the past three years, and I became part of the FirstPort team at the end of 2023. I started as a Property Service Specialist before becoming a Team Leader last year. The regionalisation has been very beneficial for my team, as it has enabled them to build stronger relationships across the business. It has also deepened their own knowledge of individual sites and properties, putting them in the best position to provide a first-time resolution to our customers.”
Chris Milne, Associate Director
“My career in property management began in 2007 as a site-based Development Manager. I qualified as a Property Manager in 2010, and since January 2023, I have been leading a team of eight Property Managers based across the South West of England. We maintain strong working relationships with all teams across FirstPort South West and the wider business. I believe that collaboration is key to consistently delivering exceptional customer service. Regional teams have a deeper understanding of
local issues and customer expectations, enabling more tailored and effective service delivery.”
Thomas Turtle, Trainee Property Manager
“I’m new to property management, having started with FirstPort in March 2025. It’s great to be able to meet regularly with teams, and it has certainly been a huge support in my training and development. I’ve learned a lot through shared experiences, shadowing, and mentoring from more experienced colleagues. This type of collaboration has helped me to build confidence in the role. Regionalisation ensures that we, as Property Managers, can be at the heart of the communities we manage. It gives us more time to focus on the things that really matter – being present on site and helping the people within our portfolio. It’s made the role more personal and impactful.”
Michael Dennis FCCA FMAAT, Regional Service Charge Accounts Manager
“I’ve been with FirstPort for the past four years. Across the South West Service Charge Accounts team, we facilitate the preparation of cost estimates and service charge year-end accounts for the developments throughout the region. The regional approach ensures we are putting the right people in the right areas to help provide a collaborative approach to the way we work.”
If you would like to explore a career at FirstPort, head over to the FirstPort careers page or contact: careers@firstport.co.uk
