Joshua Mann joined Paragon as a Portfolio Manager during the lockdown last year. We chat to him about his role with the company, why he joined Paragon and what he enjoys outside of work.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I started my professional career at Octopus Investments as a Relationship Manager, supporting clients investing directly into Estate and Tax planning products, such as Venture Capital Trusts, Enterprise Investment Schemes and Business Relief Investments.

I've always had a passion for property and made the move into the Octopus Real Estate team in 2019 where I helped clients meet their business objectives via the provision of bespoke development finance and investment debt solutions.

After a couple of years with Octopus, in April 2020 the chance arose to join the Paragon Development Finance Team. The team is incredibly experienced and the bank has shown great confidence in the sector by continuing to support new business throughout the pandemic and backing the team's rapid expansion over the past 12 months.

How do you support clients in the Portfolio Management role?

As a Portfolio Manager, I am the main point of contact for clients throughout the funding life cycle. I work closely with our panel of Lawyers, Surveyors, and Valuers, as well as our internal Credit Committee, to ensure the initial loan due diligence is executed quickly and efficiently.  

Our developers want to work with efficient lenders, and as a Portfolio Manager I support our clients by ensuring the monthly build drawdowns are processed promptly, typically on the same day of receiving our project monitor's report.

What trends are you seeing in the market currently?

We are seeing increased demand for more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes, especially given the recent news surrounding rising energy prices. Many clients are now including electric charging points and installing solar panels as standard, and I have seen an increased focus on ensuring the highest EPC rating possible.

Our Green Homes initiative, where we halve exit fees for EPC A-rated developments, will support our clients to achieve this.

What do you enjoy most about the property industry?

I've always had a keen interest in property and find it extremely rewarding to see our funding directly resulting in a tangible end product, bringing our clients' ideas to life. I enjoy the fact that every deal is different, they all have their individual nuances around planning, financial structure, or legal restrictions meaning no two days are the same.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

I enjoy my sports and used to regularly play both football and rugby but have since hung up my boots and now appreciate watching from the sidelines. I also enjoy spending my time travelling and am a keen clay pigeon shot.

Joshua Mann
Development Finance Portfolio Manager