Q&A - Stacey Foster
Following the successful launch of Snow Hill Wharf’s monthly community events, we sat down with Stacey Foster, regional sales manager at St Joseph, to talk about her career, background and her love for the city of Birmingham.
1. Tell us a bit about your background, career and current role.
It's a bit of a funny story, to be honest! I can definitely say that my interest in housing and new developments came from my mum. She started out as a consultant way back in the early 90s, long before laptops and iPads were the tools of the trade. I can remember as a young child watching her come bursting through the door with these huge pieces of paper - blueprints, site drawings and development plans. I used to stand beside her, fascinated by the plans and reading through every detail - the rest as they say, is history!
I first started working in the property industry when I was a student. I was lucky enough to get a job working part time for Maitland Selwyn, which gave me the chance to get some really important experience under my belt (such as uncovering new build sites), and I had the chance to earn a little bit of money in between my studies - which is always useful when you’re a student!
By the time I graduated University, I knew that I wanted to work in property so got myself a full-time job at a local estate agents. I really enjoyed my time working on new build developments, so shortly after that, I joined Bromford Housing Association and was part of the team selling their shared ownership properties. In 2013, I joined Cala Homes selling in and around the West Midlands, from Daventry to Rugby, Worcester to Coventry, before joining St Joseph in 2018.
2. Being a history buff, did you find some of the Berkeley Group sites that have history particularly interesting?
The thing that I love most about Berkeley Group, is the regeneration side of things. We breathe life back into areas that have perhaps fallen into disrepair but are actually so rich in history - especially here in the Midlands.
If you look at areas like the Gun Quarter for example, it has an abundance of history that is deeply rooted, especially when you look at the canal, transport and infrastructure - but sometimes that story gets lost unless the locals are there to tell it.
We get to uncover these lost bits of history; such as uncovering some original kiln work at our new Glasswater Locks development, and have the privilege to bring them back to life by implementing those elements into our design work and architecture.
3. Can you tell me a bit about your role at Berkeley Group?
I'm the regional Sales manager at St Joseph and I look after our two communities here in Birmingham - Snow Hill Wharf and Glasswater Locks. It’s my job to ensure we deliver exactly what we told the communities we would, and that the process of buying a property is as stress-free and straightforward as possible. We care about the people and families that choose to buy their home with us, so it’s really important that they feel seen, heard and listened to.
4. You mentioned Snow Hill Wharf - what can you tell us about that development?
Snow Hill Wharf is situated in the Gun Quarter, just a three-minute walk away from the commercial district. It sits on the bank of the canal, but echoes the industrial style of the surrounding buildings.
The podium garden is really a hidden gem - it’s been professionally landscaped and has some incredible flower beds that will only get bigger and better over time. When residents open their curtains in the morning, they’re not greeted by a concrete jungle - they see greenery and foliage, even though they’re just minutes from the city centre.
5. How do you make that customer journey different at Berkeley Group?
At Berkeley Group, our focus has always been on creating more than just homes, but creating communities too. We want people to enjoy the places that they live, so we make sure to include a wide range of areas where the community can come together* - such as allotments, play areas and nature trails, and providing spaces that can be used for big celebrations like Christmas and Easter, and even hosting spotlight events on local businesses.
It’s that element that sets us apart - we leave a community legacy, not just houses that still need to be turned into homes.
6. What do you think of Birmingham as a place to live and work in?
Birmingham over the past five or six years has seen such a massive redevelopment - last year the city hosted the Commonwealth Games and that gave the city a huge boost. We’ve also seen huge artists host their concerts here - Harry Styles, Blondie, Bruce Springsteen and Arctic Monkeys to name a few, so the events and hospitality industry is absolutely thriving.
Birmingham is known as Europe’s youngest city and the culture certainly reflects that - it is so vibrant and so lively. When I’m in the city, I like to travel around and try different places. Everywhere you look there are incredible restaurants - such as Dishoom - and amazing bars, especially in Brindley place along the canal. You’re never more than a ten-minute walk from something to do.
When it comes to living in the city, there’s been a big rise recently in the number of high rise developments - which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s seen the Birmingham skyline lately... it’s full of cranes! Traditionally it’s been a pretty flat city, but more and more people want to live here and Birmingham is quite literally rising to the occasion.
7. Why do you think Berkeley Group is investing in Birmingham currently?
We know that Birmingham’s potential is unending. It’s busy, it’s vibrant and it’s on the up. We saw an opportunity to be part of the regeneration taking place across the city, and our expertise in brownfield sites just made it the perfect opportunity. We’ve loved being here and plan to help take the city to the next level for many more years to come.
8. What's your favourite thing about working for Berkeley Group?
I’m really proud of the homes that we deliver. I think as sales people you can't really be successful in your job if you don't have a passion for what you're selling, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by people that truly believe in what they do.
We've got a really great group of people - from the office, to the development, to the sales team and everywhere in between - everyone wants to show exactly what they can do. It’s a real pleasure to be a part of that.
9. Which community events stand out the most to you, and which ones would you have liked to attend?
Oh gosh, that’s such a tricky question to answer! We’ve had some really good feedback from our residents on all the events we’ve hosted so far, so it’s really hard to pick just a few.
If I had to pick, I would have attended the PT session conducted by KB Performance. I do enjoy a good workout and would have liked to see how a PT session would work in a shared gym space. I know we have another event coming up in November Harvest Skincare and their products are AMAZING - I’m definitely going to try and pop along to that one.
To find out more about the properties available at Snow Hill Wharf, call 0121 667 6246 or click here.