Meet our Founder - Rico Naylor

Rico Naylor - Founder

CRE Insider was born from a problem I knew too well: how do you build credibility in commercial real estate when you don’t come from it? 

As a Chartered Surveyor who entered the industry with no connections and no blueprint, I quickly learned that success isn’t just about skill — it’s about visibility. This is the story of how I built my brand from the ground up, and why I launched CRE Insider to help others do the same.

Introduction to Surveying

Let's rewind time, back to 2016.

I'm battling through the second year of college, bewildered by the looming deadline of choosing a career path.

One sunny day, I was asked the dreaded question "what are your plans for after college, will you go to university?", disheartened I replied "I'm not smart enough for that", rebutted by "don't dismiss it, what are you interested in?".

I pondered, before responding, "property, but there's no degree in that," countered by "how do you know? Have you looked?" Like many, I assumed property just meant selling houses. I wasn't aware of our clandestine industry.

Eager to prove my point, I grabbed my laptop, searched for "property degrees," and to my absolute surprise, my introduction to surveying was made. Newly optimistic, I attended an open day at Liverpool John Moores University for "Real Estate".

After the programme leader introduced the course and opened for questions, I asked, "Does Liverpool have a Nando's?". I was assured it had a few, so I said, "Great, I'll see you in September."

I was a man of my word, and the rest is history. That was my inadvertent introduction to surveying!

University to Industry

My first real taste for surveying came in a small but sweet summer internship at Cushman & Wakefield. Rather recklessly this was the only internship I applied for, I was sold the dream by a talented HR specialist, Jessica Martin. Our chat infused me with excitement, a conversation I'll never forget. The induction in London, or "The Big Smoke", only contributed to my ambitions to make a name for myself.

Followed by a graduate training programme at JLL where I dived straight into Office Agency and absolutely loved it. Throughout the programme, I rotated through Lease Advisory, Capital Markets and Valuation, taking the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) in late 2023 and (thankfully) passed first time.

Corporate life isn't for everyone, but I can't fault my experience at JLL. To work alongside leaders, the support from peers and senior leadership, and memories made are times I look back on fondly.

Hard skills aside, the industry taught me one crucial concept:

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."

Starting out, as an ethnic minority with no industry connections, this stark reality made me anxious. I had no family in the game, no senior connections, so how does one get ahead?

The power of personal branding.

That's what I learned, and that's why we're here today.

Perception is Powerful

My game plan was to create recognition internally at JLL. I figured, if senior leadership don't know who I am, climbing the corporate hierarchy would be sluggish, compared to those with a head start.

Your career is a game of snakes and ladders. Focus on the shortcuts.

In just one year, I went from 200 connections to 2,000+ followers, enabling me to host event panels, award shows, garner recognition across 'The Big Six' companies and receive job offers.

How? by building my personal brand.

I quickly realised, there's value in building industry recognition. Your network quadruples, doors open for you and opportunities land in your inbox.

There are business owners generating millions in revenue by consistently posting on LinkedIn, building their personal brand and creating awareness of their business. They're strategically creating industry authority by demonstrating thought leadership, and so can you.

"It's a perception game. Those in the limelight repeatedly reap its rewards."

Build Your Brand

And that's what CRE Insider is about.

Helping founders, surveyors and property professionals build industry authority by developing a platform that spotlights thought leadership and supports you in curating your personal brands on LinkedIn.

It's 2025, the market is challenging. Gone are the days when showing up at the pub and shaking hands is enough.

With a strong digital presence to reinforce your reputation, you have content working for you whilst you're away, building trust and industry authority in the background.

I help professionals and SME's as an individual, but it's time I build a business that does this at scale.

That's why I founded CRE Insider, a platform for you to:

Share Insights, Build Authority.

What to expect from CRE Insider:

• Manchester Market Insights Newsletter - Hear from the experts leading the market on what's happening and what's coming next.

• Thought Leadership - Hear from leaders on current and predicted market trends. Your go-to knowledge sharing platform.

• Personal Branding - Learn how to build your personal brand and stand out. For support, reach out directly!

Thank you for reading this first article. I look forward to sharing more exciting news and opportunities soon.

Let's grow together. Any support by way of engagement is much appreciated; feel free to repost and share.

📥 Stay updated! Subscribe to our free newsletter:

https://join.cre-insider.com/

🤝 Want to build your thought leadership and industry authority? Get in touch!

rico@cre-insider.com