Meet the founder of The Landsite
Ramsey Assal is the founder and CEO of The Landsite, the property network and marketplace for real estate professionals, which connects businesses with users looking for property services and products.
Prior to launching The Landsite, Ramsey spent over 35 years running his own residential and commercial property business, coupled with investments in diverse business verticals including technology, insurance and FMCG logistics.
Ramsey was Managing Director of Allied Foods, an international company that distributed food and FMCG products throughout the UAE and Middle East. Within Allied Foods, Ramsey acquired the contract for the set up and operation of the McDonald's supply chain in the Arabian Gulf and was responsible for its development and management for over 20 years. Alongside this he managed the logistics for a variety of international brands including Nestle and Compass Catering. In 2005 Ramsey was appointed as the Operations Director of Keystone Foods and responsible for Keystone’s acquisition and restructuring of McDonald's UK logistic and supply chain.
Describe your business in three words.
Unique - Business - Marketplace
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
We are unique in that we are the only property platform which offers our users access to a network and marketplace with products and services from businesses and services experts from across every sector of the real estate industry.
Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Yes, on one occasion earlier in the year when we had around 45 business wanting to join us and open business profiles over a couple of days. We had to very quickly ramp-up our client services team and ensure that they were all taken care of. It was certainly very stressful as we pride ourselves in customer service and client care.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
We are an innovative solution and listen carefully to both our members needs and the movements in the real estate market. As a result, we have evolved over the past 18 months and will continue to do so. We are designed to service the real estate business community in its entirety by connecting with our members and providing them with the solutions they need is an essential part of our strategy. Furthermore, we are not a publication – we are a market and network giving a voice to our members from across the entire world of property.
What plans do you have for The Landsite over the next two years?
We are continuing our upward trajectory of members joining us and finding value in The Landsite. In conjunction with this we are continuously adding new features, channels and facilities for our both our members and the users who visit our platform.
Becoming the one-stop location for everything property requires innovation and flexibility. Although we are well adapted for mobile use, we are planning the development of an app within the next 12 months. Last, but not least, we will be marketing The Landsite overseas to cement our position as the ‘gateway’ to the UK property market.
With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?
The entrepreneur arena is growing month by month particularly since the introduction of lockdowns in the spring of 2020. To stand out and be noticed it’s becoming harder and harder. We believe that the only way to do this is to find a unique niche within an existing economic vertical or ideally create a new sector altogether! I believe we have done the former with The Landsite and encouraged a business group to find and join a new and specifically targeted business solution.
Is word of mouth working to your advantage?
Yes absolutely. Trust plays a massive part in any start up. We have several businesses who have been recommended to join the network by current members using the platform.
How does technological advancement speak to the strategic direction of your business
As a digital market solution, technology is essential to our whole progress. Whether that be website development techniques, server hosting security or technology solutions aimed at marketing and user experience. We monitor the progress of all of these and do our best to adapt any of the advancements into our platform in order to make our user experience the best it can be.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
Learn to be patient and clear. Things don’t happen overnight. Be aware of your budget at all times – “cash is king” as they say. Don’t be unrealistic. I think the biggest lesson I have learnt in this experience is to not rush into building a team around you. I know it is a cliché, but people certainly are the most important element of building a business and it is essential to make sure you have good, competent and loyal people around you and within the whole organisation.
What are your thoughts on failure?
We all make mistakes but use the experience in a positive way, learn and then move forward. It’s the only way to progress. Mistakes are a normal and regular part of everyone’s lives, regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur, a student or an employee within a large organisation. It’s learning from mistakes that’s important and doing everything you can to avoid them happening again. I enjoy meeting people who are open and honest about their mistakes as I know they can add value from their experiences.
There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?
I have been a property developer for many years and a couple of years ago I was looking to expand outside of my usual home territory. I grew frustrated at the number of services and people I needed to search for, call, meet and pay. I realised that there was nothing out there to cover everything that I needed and in this digital world, there seemed only one solution: The Landsite. I spoke to many other people I know who had similar experiences and the lightbulb was lit!
