Jeremy Baird, Managing Director of Managemint – the company he founded while still at University – was named Young Business Person of the Year at the Belfast Business Awards, which were held last Thursday night at a gala dinner in City Hall.
Aged just 27, Jeremy won the award at the first attempt and only weeks after hehad opened his second office in Lurgan. With a head office in Stranmillis, Managemint manages a portfolio which includes high-end, exclusive dwellings for clients as diverse as HBO, members of the Ulster Rugby Squad and CITI Group.
Because of the stiff competition, Jeremy was as surprised as anyone when his name was called out, particularly as the last couple of years have not been good for the property industry or for the people who work in it.
“I think the judges liked the fact that I was still only 27, yet I had progressed so far in a depleted marketplace. Also, I have a vision for the business and provide training for my staff and see their personal development as essential to Managemint’s future.
“I also think business should be fun and that’s why I seek out the type of clients that I have on the books – HBO, for example”.
Jeremy lets and manages many of the properties in the Titanic Quarter, which has been one of the stars of the past year and is now almost 100% let. Indeed Titanic Quarter also walked away with an award on the night for the Best Regeneration Project, collected by Michael Graham.
“With the signature building due to complete in 2011 and the area starting to develop some “hustle and bustle”, people are becoming more and more interested in rental accommodation as an alternative to the traditional mortgage-purchase dominated market”, says Jeremy.
“I identified that trend early on and was able to capitalize on that. There are companies springing up all the time offering a letting and management service, but many of them have no long term vision and will come and go.
