Moda Group is a vertically integrated investor, developer and operator of large-scale rental neighbourhoods across the build-to-rent, student accommodation, single-family housing and co-living sectors. Best Rental Living Neighbourhood Development MD 2024 (North Yorkshire): Richard Smith You may be familiar with the term Build to Rent (or BTR), simply put, these are neighbourhoods that are designed with renters in mind and are professionally managed and supported by an institutional landlord with 24/7 security. Moda Living (part of Moda Group) has more than 3,000 operational homes plus 106,000sqft of amenity space, as well as a pipeline of 24,000 homes across buildto-rent, family homes and student, with a combined GDV of £6.8 billion. The firm’s ambitious vision is to create the world's best rental experience – a better version of living – called life 2.0. That doesn't just mean investing in next generation homes and spaces, it means investing in innovation and excellence across its core brand values of wellness, technology, ESG and customer service. Focusing on long-term stewardship, Moda Living partners with global institutional investors to provide unique access to the UK rental market at scale. Its mission is to pioneer positive change across the rental landscape, delivering spaces and experiences for people to prosper, evolve and live better. Richard Smith is Managing Director of Moda Living. Having spent the majority of his career in the hospitality industry, working for companies such as Marriott International, Radisson, Starwood Capital & Whitbread, he has vast experience in creating and leading teams in very dynamic, fast-moving sites in both the UK and the USA. Richard was asked to join Moda Living when it first started on its journey to develop the brand specific ‘Build to Rent’ portfolio, and it had recently opened its first site in Manchester. From that time until the present day, Richard has helped develop and open a further six locations, creating homes and communities with over 3,000 apartments all focused on delivering exceptional experiences and standards to residents. Here, he shares his words of wisdom on his approach to being a successful leader capable of guiding his team diligently. “Our team values are based on loyalty, commitment and integrity - driven through the Moda Operandi,” he begins. “Being clear and open is critical to being a good leader, something I strive to achieve personally and with my teams each and every day. “Allowing teams to flourish under your stewardship allows retention to be gained and trust/integrity to be achieved - creating a culture of clear direction also helps in an everchanging fluid business.” With a personal vision that he shares with his team of creating next generation neighbourhoods and inspired teams, that deliver exceptional experiences for residents and communities, Richard is a big believer in fostering a culture of openness, honesty and trust. “The culture you have created should always be how you start your day,” he enthuses. “No matter what is thrown at you through the course of the operating day, always try and stay true to yourself and the people you lead.” For his dedication and commitment to leadership of the Moda team, Richard recently gained the title of Best Rental Living Neighbourhood Development MD 2024 (North Yorkshire) in the Managing Director of the Year Awards. Looking to the future, Moda’s operational arm will continue to focus on providing outstanding living experiences for residents, and fun, fulfilling employment opportunities with strong career progression opportunities for team members. One of Richard’s key focuses for the coming months is to continue building The Moda Academy – an inhouse training programme which launched in 2023 to upskill team members at all levels of seniority, bolstering the experience of the end customer, but also boosting the morale and confidence of team members to help them develop their skills as they move through their Moda careers. Another big focus for Richard and the wider team is to support residents in lowering their energy usage and carbon footprint within their rental homes in Moda neighbourhoods. This has the triple impact of supporting residents’ wishes to protect the planet, significantly reduce the carbon produced by the neighbourhoods at large, and helping residents lower their utility costs. “I’m flattered to have been put forward for this award but you’re only ever as strong as your team,” Richard tells us. “I am constantly and continually impressed by their innovation and tenacity in caring for our communities, as well as the fun they have doing it.” Contact Details Contact: Richard Smith Company: Moda Living Web Address: www.modaliving.com
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