Jordan Yorath tips South Bank as one to watch in Leeds

Property People Q&A: Jordan Yorath has worked in the Leeds city centre residential property market for 15 years and is now branch manager of Hunters Leeds Lettings.

How did you end up working in property? From as young as I can remember I spent most evenings after school following my mum around builders’ merchants when she was a property developer. Later, I went to Northumbria and gained a degree in Estate Management and started my career in business with my mother, operating as a letting agent in Leeds city centre. Since then I have run my own businesses as a sales agent and a developer, gaining a full circle knowledge of the residential market, before returning to lettings with Hunters earlier this year. I grabbed the opportunity at Hunters with both hands because I share the company’s beliefs about how to operate professionally and deliver excellent customer service and I felt I could add real value to the company on this basis. Read more:> Christine Yorath's At Home with Q&A

How is the housing market faring in the city centre? It is a very interesting time. Demand is continuing to outstrip supply despite several new developments coming to fruition. The next phase of new supply is mainly coming from build-to-rent via institutional investors, which I expect will lead to a new standard of lettings property as well as increased average rents. We are seeing an increase in buy-to-let investors enquiring about existing property which suggests confidence in the market here and, following the recent tenant fee ban in June, we have also seen a significant spike in the number of properties we are letting.

Are there any up-and-coming places? For me, the most exciting ‘‘one to watch’’ is the South Bank regeneration, especially the City Park development by Vastint which will include residential, commercial and public open space.

If you were the Housing Minister what would you do? I would make it my mission to make tangible and meaningful change, satisfying demand and building the 300,000 homes a year we need. Crucially, I would need reassurances from Government that I would be posted in the job for long enough to see my plan through. In a period of five Prime Ministers, there have been 18 different Housing Ministers. This clearly brings challenges in driving long-term change and progress. In my view, a successful Housing Minister would need real knowledge and experience of the property industry and would collaborative with other parties.

Where and what is your ideal home? A happy one. When I am happiest at home, I am the best version of me at work and socially. My latest move has been to Chapel Allerton to a house with gorgeous, south-facing outdoor space. I am also really into my cooking, so a modern, clean kitchen with lots of work space is always a top priority. I love Leeds, so couldn’t see me ever moving away, but if I had to choose another place to live it would be New York. I was inspired by the architecture when I visited a few years back.