Caroline Kenny is quitting as executive of the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA) after little more than a year in the job.
A former partner at Cluttons and an ARLA fellow, she was appointed last autumn after UKALA was relaunched by the National Landlords Association, which took it over in 2010.
Curiously, her job was always described as “executive” – and not, for example, chief executive or managing director.
No reasons have been given for her departure, but she will be pursuing projects, including training, within the lettings sector.
Only last week she appeared before MPs to give evidence on the Immigration Bill, and she has won praise on this site for her consistently well-expressed and grounded views on letting agent fees and regulation, for example. In February, she scored a major coup with the recruitment of Martin & Co to UKALA.
Yesterday, she said: “It has been a great pleasure to work with UKALA since its relaunch and to play such an active role in developing the Association during this formative period. I remain exceptionally proud of the work undertaken by the UKALA team and look forward to maintaining close contacts with them over the years to come.
“Despite taking the difficult decision to leave my day to day role, I hope to be able to support UKALA in the future and persist in my belief in its mission to promote its letting agent members. By sticking with its ethos of providing practical assistance, I am confident that UKALA will go from strength to strength.”
UKALA chairman David Salusbury – who was also chairman of the NLA until this summer – said: “Despite the relatively short time she has been with UKALA, Caroline has made an outstanding contribution to the Association.
“We were particularly fortunate in securing the services of someone with such a deep knowledge and expertise in the lettings sector to oversee UKALA’s successful relaunch.
“There is no doubt that Caroline has raised UKALA’s profile in the industry and the market to a level to which it could only aspire a year ago.
“We are sad that, having laid the foundations for the future, she has decided to move on now with so much still to come, but she goes with our heartfelt thanks and good wishes.”
Richard Price, NLA director of operations who sits on the UKALA board, will act as UKALA executive in the interim.
Kenny’s departure comes swiftly after ARLA managing director Ian Potter announced his retirement, to take effect next year. The search has already started to find his successor.
Comments
This time last year Clive Betts organised a chummy little inquiry into the PRS and it looked to the whole world if the co-conspirators who have been banging on about 'regulation' and licensing since Hugh Dunsmore Hardy came up with the Blair schmooze plan for industry domination some 10 years ago, would finally get their way and we would all have to cough up and belong to something.
With a very mixed ability group of agents Martin and Co needed somewhere to run to that wasn't as stringent as ARLA. With many post 2008 downturn struggling Estate Agent entrants into lettings in the same boat there was suddenly an opportunity for a soft regulating body, one that didn't have a code of conduct as such but one which would give pseudo credibility and compliance to the weaker members of the industry. From NLA point of view there was a commercial opportunity to take some cash from Agents who are not very good at detail, paperwork or compliance.
If the country forgets that you can't run a National economy using a credit card, as Gordon Brown did, and we end up with a Labour Government in 2015 there might be renewed attempts at regulation but two years is a long time to be paying a high profiled executive to be sat around costing more than they are bringing in.
Can someone explain how the NLA who, by definition, has a membership of landlords that don't use letting agents, end up controlling an organisation that (on the face of it) is an accreditation body for letting agents, and expect to retain a letting agent professional as the CEO.
Utter garbage.
Do those posting here know how many members UKALA actually has?
Can someone post it please - I believe it is less than 500 including M&Co but may be wrong
NLA taking advantage of the gap left by a NFoPP weakened ARLA was an obvious commercial decision but even with the support of Martin and Co it is fairly obvious the UKALA have failed to gain enough credibility or commercial viability quickly enough to support an Executive salary.
Martin and Co are famed for taking full advantage of the economies of scale a 170+ office group can leverage so that won't have been enough to cover costs of a fledgling trade body. It is fairly easy to surmise that this departure, painted up in whatever colour and whatever comment will be simple case of commercials.
Richard Price is on the payroll so keeping the thing alive with the hope of gaining traction makes sense but unless there is a real upturn in support for UKALA from Agents the future isn't very bright.
Good solid Agents will remain loyal to ARLA and with the industry regulation that seemed likely this time last year becoming less and less likely in the foreseeable future, there is now no real need for an ARLA alternative for those agents who would have needed a soft option trade body.
Our survey said Uttt Arrrrh! While I agree Nick is a respected bloke in agency it hardly qualifies him in Lettings and Management.
With regards Eric one of his mates poo pooed the idea of ARLA MD citing his character as the reason.
i think she leaves a hole which will be hard to fill.
No drama here. Caroline wanted to pursue other interests.
It happens, you know. People get bored and they leave. No big deal.
Lovely lady, suspect laugh and good at her job.
Nick Salmon and Eric Walker.
I agree neither works in any of the trade bodies, though. That is probably because all of the bodies have their own internal politics and by definition someone of genuine calibre won't want to work in that type of environment, or at least will want to have a crack at changing the culture.
I challenge you to name a serious industry heavyweight.
Anyone who has ever been in a room with the Executives from NLA will know that essentially there is only one opinion. In fact there is convenient bin just outside the office for any opinon that isn't David's to be deposited.
Over the last year or so I have developed a lot of respect for the UKALA and for Caroline too.
Sad to hear she is leaving - wish we knew why - but wish her well and hope the UKALA will continue its good work.
ARLA only has a relatively high profile within the lettings industry as few outsiders, especially landlords and tenants, are even aware of its existence. What chance has UKALA? Try asking clients of Martin & Co if they are aware or even care.
Caroline Kenny is a really nice person and as fairly high profile as you can get, even though ARLA Agent disagrees.
I actually feel sorry for UKALA - they are trying to do something positive and the last thing needed is a change at the top as momentum stalls.
They and ARLA will be competing to attract a serious industry heavyweight. Sadly, Caroline wasn't high profile enough. They really need a 'name' recognised by industry - not just a few of the London Elite.