April 2022

60 years and going strong!

Hunters has always celebrated milestones and as Joint Managing Director Neil McCabe turns 60, we find out more about him and his career (we managed to squeeze out of him his favourite project), what it’s like running the business and why this career is a good one to pursue.

After graduating in the mid-eighties from the University of Ulster (just before one of the many recessions the UK has experienced since) the sprightly young graduate worked to pass his RICS and become a fully-fledged surveyor. It wasn’t long before he jumped up the ranks from associate to director and in 2007 became a shareholder in the practice.

He has managed to mix growing the practice and having fun – ‘When I was younger, I organised bands at the Institute of Housing, we had a great time and networked at the same time. It’s good to do things which involve people and a different energy throughout your career.’ 

Neil had always wanted to own a company and, being at Hunters over the years has provided that opportunity ‘The people here are important to me, we have a great mix of characters, no one is the same, that’s what makes Hunters successful, not a stereotypical corporate practice. We still provide outstanding service, are professional but we think we are more approachable than many of our competitors.‘

Although he thoroughly enjoys the challenges and highlights of all the projects Hunters works on, his favourite was Erith Park in the London Borough of Bexley. A transformational regeneration project with community-based aspirations, Neil felt it made a real difference to see peoples’ lives change from an area with a poor reputation, and through collaboration with communities and the local authority, to a place which is now popular.

So, his advice for younger persons looking at this career route? ‘It’s a good opportunity to meet people, develop your personality, and challenge yourself.’  After all, it is a service industry and it’s the people that make the difference.