Craig Latimer

Name

Craig Latimer

Department

New Homes & Development

Working for New Homes & Development in Glasgow has proved a challenging yet varied role since I joined the department in October 2007. I actually started at Savills in July 2006 when I joined from University and began working in the Residential department assisting in the sale of country properties. Now, I am responsible for a number of new build developments including an Austrian inspired, environmentally sustainable development in the Clyde Valley with a GDV of c.£16m. Whilst I am closely involved in new home sales I also handle land sales, residential investment and have recently been retained by a client to source caravan/lodge park sites.

The Glasgow office has representation from a number of functions including; Commercial Investment, Retail, Residential, New Homes, Valuation, SPF, Management, Building Surveying, Planning and Development Land. It's a relatively small office of about 45 people and given the open plan layout it's easy to get to know everyone. Whilst the size of the office means there is limited scope for 'formal' rotations I have undertaken work with Planning and Valuation which counts towards my RICS & RTPI APC's and there is always scope for working with other departments depending on the instruction. Given the changes in the property market over the last 6 months, knowing about the roles of the various departments and the people will certainly create some new opportunities and already I'm starting to work with clients such as the Dunfermline Building Society who were an introduction from my colleagues in Valuation.

The work can be demanding at times and there have been a few late nights when a pitch is due but the social aspect can more than make up for it at times with regular Friday night drinks and RICS Matrics events. As a city to live and work in Glasgow is just about the perfect size. I live in the West End so it's not a long trip to the office, all of 10 minutes on the bus or slightly longer on the underground. Outside of work I enjoy sailing which isn't surprising considering some of the best racing and cruising waters in the UK are less than 30 minutes from home.