30 November 2022
This year’s News on the Block awards saw two FirstPort colleagues recognised for their outstanding contributions in their roles.
- Highly Commended: Regional Property Manager of the Year – Steven Loakes
- Highly Commended: New Property Manager of the Year – Sam Barber
FirstPort Operations Director Phil Heywood said:
“We had a great group of finalists this year and we’d like to say a huge congratulations to our winners. We are pleased to have received two ‘highly commended’ awards. This is a brilliant achievement and I’m proud to work with colleagues who are so dedicated to providing an excellent level of service for our customers.”
Regional Property Manager of the Year
Steven Loakes has been recognised for his excellent work as a Regional Property Manager. During his time in the role, Steven has built strong relationships with the client and customers, who are impressed by his attention to detail and inventive management approach. Steven was new to property management when he joined FirstPort but is now one of the most knowledgeable people in his division. He understands the importance of getting to grips with issues, understanding fully a lease, and using this to guide his decisions, alongside his own sound judgement and customer-focused thinking.
A FirstPort resident said:
“I know many of our neighbours to chat to and without exception they praise Steve and his team for the upkeep of the estate and their efficiency in responding to queries. Of course, no one wants to pay management and maintenance fees, but we all acknowledge that we see a good return for our money. Our visitors also comment on how attractive and well- maintained the estate is. I have no doubt that this adds to the quality of our life.”
New Property Manager of the Year
Property Manager Sam Barber received a ‘Highly Commended’ recognition for his impressive contribution to his role. Despite only taking on the role of Property Manager a matter of months ago, Sam has transformed the sites he manages and has shown resilience and understanding when overcoming challenges.
Colleague Sadde Hoque has been receiving Property Manager training by Sam. Sadde said:
Sam has shown me the everything I need to know about site visits and the job in general. I couldn’t sing enough praises about Sam.
“No matter how silly the question was, he answered each question in depth and provided solutions to any problems that came up. He is efficient and showed me the ropes. He is very easy to get along with and you can see from the reviews he gets why residents love him.”
One resident said:
“He has excellent follow up communication and always has time to listen with genuine patience towards the residents. Honestly, Sam is a credit to FirstPort and I’m sure I speak for others who are also grateful for his continued determination and hard work here. Well done, Sam!”
