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NLA appoints its first Media Relations Manager

from "UK Landlord" magazine, March 2008

The NLA is continuing its growth and development with the appointment of Steven Hilton as Media Relations Manager.

Steven's main role is to establish and manage the Association's first in-house Press Office, making sure NLA campaigns get full press coverage at local and national levels.

Steven aims to achieve greater media coverage for the NLA in a way that encourages non-member landlords to join:

"I want to make the NLA the first port of call for journalists looking for information on the PRS. By running campaigns, like the renewal fees campaign, we can both drive NLA membership and increase the NLA's profile so that we cement our position as the voice of authority in the sector. It's also an important part of my job to give voice to those landlords who are committed to raising standards."

Steven has both professional and personal experience in the property sector. Through his work as an Account Manager for Wriglesworth Consultancy PR firm, he worked with high profile clients in the financial and corporate sectors: "I worked with a range of clients including lenders like Lehman brothers, HIP providers, wealth investment companies and high street banks too." Nearly a year ago, Steven bought his first property: "It hasn't been easy buying in London but the part-buy, part-rent scheme is a real help for those who can't buy outright. And you don't have to be a Key Worker."

Steven relishes the challenges of raising the profile of private-sector landlords: "I think now is an exciting time to work in the housing sector because it's a time of change, though I don't think it's right to be overly pessimistic. What we are seeing is the normalisation of the market, hopefully not a crash. It could be that the days of the quick return landlords are numbered in favour of the professional landlord who is in it for the long term; the landlord that we are here to represent."

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