Meet Harry Fenner, founder of Navana Property Group

Could you describe your life growing up? How many siblings did you have, where did you grow up, were you raised by mum and dad? Where did you study?

I grew up in Woking, Surrey. My mother was from Manchester and had a humble upbringing whilst my father was privately educated at Highgate Boarding School in North London. This inevitably gave me a diverse outlook on life. For example, my dad might be taking me to visit his business associates and their often impressive houses, and the next evening I would be kicking footballs against street walls in Swinton and playing snooker with my grandad at the local Conservative club. 

I studied at my local state school at the time, Bishop David Brown in Sheerwater. Whilst I was there, the school had been placed into special measures by Ofsted and the area in which the school was based was known for its crime and anti-social behaviour issues. During the five years of being educated there, looking back there was ample opportunity for me to head in the wrong direction, however it was my passion for Judo that happily steered me away from that route.

Could you tell me a little bit more about your background in Judo? When did you start training martial arts and what age did you start competing professionally?

Being introduced to sport was a pivotal part of my life and from the age of five onwards, I started taking Karate classes at Woking Leisure Centre. However, it was when my sister Louise picked up Judo that I decided it was the sport for me. I threw myself into the sport, spending all my younger years travelling abroad for competitions and growing ever more dedicated. My hard work and dedication paid off and at 15 years old, I was offered a scholarship to train full time with the Great British Judo squad. While my friends were studying and gaining degrees, I spent my teenage years attending training camps and tournaments across Europe and internationally.  The resilience and discipline garnered from the sport has without a doubt equipped me for business better than any degree in my view. It gave me a great set of transferable skills that I still use today, from determination and resilience to focus and strategic thinking, especially when under pressure to perform. I’m a big believer that skills can be acquired, but character much less so.

What made you decide to get into property?

When I was 21, I started out on my first venture, taking over the security for a multi-tenanted office building in Cobham, Surrey. This really gave me a taste for the property sector as my role expanded into more of a building manager position, making me responsible for budgeting, maintenance, the occupier’s satisfaction and the safety of the property. I then started working in residential property management in the City of London and my appetite for property just kept growing from there. I’ve always had a clear sense that you do business with people, not with businesses and have always been a keen networker. As I attended more events and met more people.

However, my first foray into property came after a chance conversation I had at the Conservative Club in Swinton, where my grandad used to play snooker. I came across a homeowner who was facing repossession and bankruptcy and decided after talking with the owner extensively,  to buy their house for a fixed price to remove the risk and uncertainty they were facing at auction.

I then formed a blueprint of bridging loans and switching them to a conventional re-mortgages where I was gaining funding based on market value, not on purchase price which consistently left me with cash in my pocket, equity in the property and little to no financial input from myself. Over time I became well-versed in the method, adopting it many times, undertaking several transactions every month.  However, when the banks made it compulsory to hold the property for six months before refinancing, it put a hard-stop end to the operation.

This approach meant everybody won; the owners got a good price for their property in challenging circumstances and the chance to start again, and I purchased the property  on favourable terms. On many occasions, if they would like, I let the previous owners continue to live in the property as tenants, giving them time to save and plan their next move.

Could you describe your beginning struggles in the early days of launching Navana Property Group?  

Navana Property Group is a fairly new venture which comes with the usual struggles most early-stage businesses face; building a brand, recruiting talented and committed people and proving the worth and value of the business to potential clients, particularly in an industry like ours which can often be risk-averse.

It’s certainly been an interesting time to launch a business. The impact of Brexit and Covid-19 undoubtedly posed challenges but the business continues to grow. The crucial thing is we have been agile, responding to a changing market and building our business in ways we perhaps didn’t initially envisage. We’ve been open-minded about growth opportunities whilst simultaneously being disciplined when it comes to adhering to our core strategy.

How did you gain initial investment? (Did you do crowdfunding, angel investing, or used your own finances?) 

Due to my background in property investment, I was able to place the seed investment and continue to support the company’s ongoing growth. We have no bank borrowings and are 100% financially independent. 

However, prior to Navana, I found entering the close-knit circle of the property investment world difficult and I was constantly trying to raise funding and build my network. As a business investor, I also acquired a number of organisations that were in trouble but had a good tangible asset position, who could not continue trading without an equity release. These deals returned well and also helped prove my ability to pick the right businesses to invest in. With this, further opportunities began to flourish. 

Back to property, I found myself owning a large portfolio of properties but also having to deal with the fall out of poor customer service from the agents that were managing my portfolio on my behalf. At that moment, I realised Navana Property Group had to become a reality.

Can you provide some statistics and figures for your recent successes? (Annual profits, investments etc)  

In the past, I had acquired various land sites which due to planning consents proved very profitable. I had also invested in two companies which we saved, restructured and then sold for a good profit whilst giving the original founders a chance to go again.

Recently, I acquired a portfolio of residential and commercial buildings in south east London which is valued at more than £40m with fantastic potential for significant development and change of use.  I also hold stakes in firms that specialise in building supplies, aggregates, recycling, conservation, motor vehicles, hospitality and development. Those investments are valued at hundreds of millions and generate combined annual profits in the regions of £40 to £50m.

Did you expect to generate such great success?

I’ve always been driven to become the best at whatever it is I’m doing. Whilst some luck is undoubtedly involved in business, you can take calculated risks by educating yourself on the market, taking the time to understand investors and really getting to grips with the fundamentals of how the economy works. Although there were periods of stress and a great deal of self-inflicted pressure, the more deals I made and the more portfolios I acquired, the more confidence I gained to aim bigger.

What is your mindset like?

My mindset has been unquestionably shaped by my experience as an elite athlete. If you lose, the only option is to try harder and be smarter next time. This is pivotal when working in business. You must always be able to dust yourself off if things don’t quite go to plan, and have the resilience to try again.

The property market can catch people out therefore I always consider how wider economic trends could impact a business model. One of the main drivers behind Navana’s philosophy is to instigate change and offer greater transparency in the property sector, facilitated by increased use of technology, thinking creatively and taking a new approach to resourcing.

What struggles did your business face during the pandemic?

Although the pandemic has been testing, Navana is now in a much stronger place than it was this time last year. While our instruction on new build assets slowed last year, owing to the period in the summer where construction stopped, our clients are now making up for lost time and we’ve seen a flurry of client activity since we returned after the new year.

Doing your bit to keeping your team well, pastorally and professionally, is also important. Any business is only as strong as it’s people, and because of our collegiate culture at Navana we’ve been able to work together and get through what is hopefully the worst of the pandemic’s impact.

What advice do you have for other SMEs struggling during these difficult times? (And even more so those in the property industry?)

Ultimately, my answer would depend on the business we were talking about. However, my advice would be to keep your powder dry where and when possible when things are tough. This means quickly moving to review your expenditure and protect cash.  

Having said that, attack is always the best form of defence, another lesson I learned during my judo days, so you should always keep alert to any openings or proposals that look good over the long term, even when the hatches are buttoned down. 

Some of my biggest wins in business have been achieved at a time when the wider market was not in such great shape. Whenever there is a challenge, there is also an opportunity to face it is not my quote, but one I think is apt for our current day.