Aspirant to Asset Leader: What It Takes to Be a Head of Property in Local Government

Stepping into the Head of Property role in local government is not just a career move it’s a leap into strategic leadership, civic stewardship, and place-shaping responsibility. This is one of the most complex and high-impact roles in the public sector, where your decisions influence not only the built environment but also the lives of thousands of residents, the delivery of essential services, and the financial resilience of your council.

Across the UK, local authorities collectively manage property estates worth over £240 billion, encompassing everything from schools and libraries to depots, housing, and commercial investments. These assets are not passive holdings they are active enablers of public service delivery, economic regeneration, and climate action.

“The public estate is the foundation on which our communities are built. It’s not just about buildings it’s about opportunity, access, and ambition.” Local Government Association

Why This Role Is Strategic

The Head of Property is a linchpin between operational delivery and strategic transformation. You’re expected to:

• Maximise value from the estate financial, social, and environmental.

• Enable service innovation by aligning property decisions with evolving service models.

• Lead capital programmes from feasibility to delivery, often in politically sensitive contexts.

• Ensure compliance and safety across a diverse and ageing asset base.

• Drive sustainability supporting the UK’s net-zero targets through energy-efficient buildings and green infrastructure.

In many councils, property is the second-highest cost after staffing, yet it’s often under-leveraged. A 2023 report by the National Audit Office found that over 60% of councils lack a comprehensive asset management strategy, resulting in missed opportunities for savings, service improvement, and regeneration.

“We must move from managing buildings to managing value. That means understanding the strategic potential of every asset, not just its cost.” RICS Public Sector Asset Management Guidance

The Leadership Mindset

To succeed, you’ll need to think like a strategist, act like a project director, and communicate like a diplomat. You’ll be working across departments, with elected members, external partners, and communities. Political awareness, emotional intelligence, and resilience are as important as technical knowledge.

“Leadership in property is about more than maintenance it’s about momentum. The best Heads of Property are those who can see the bigger picture and bring others with them.” Senior Property Leader, London Borough

This is a role where you’ll be expected to:

• Balance short-term pressures with long-term vision

• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes

• Make tough decisions about disposals, investments, and service trade-offs

• Champion innovation while safeguarding compliance

And you’ll need to do all this while managing risk, responding to emergencies, and keeping the estate safe, accessible, and fit for purpose.

What You Need to Know to Be Ready

To succeed as a Head of Property in local government, you’ll need to master a unique blend of technical expertise, strategic foresight, and political acumen. This is not a role for the narrowly focused it demands a panoramic view of how property underpins public service delivery, financial sustainability, and community wellbeing.

The Government Property Profession Career Framework outlines the expectations for senior property leaders across the public sector. It identifies five core job families and 22 roles, with four levels of progression. For Heads of Property, the framework highlights the following essential capabilities:

• Professional and technical expertise in asset management, facilities, and capital programmes.

• Understanding of statutory, regulatory and professional requirements, including health and safety, CDM regulations, and energy efficiency standards.

• Strategic insight into how property assets support wider organisational goals, including regeneration, service delivery, and climate commitments.

“We are central to the transformative delivery of public services and faced with an evolving business and workforce skills requirement.” Government Property Profession Career Framework

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) adds further depth to the skillset required. Their competency framework for property professionals emphasises:

• Customer relationship management – understanding and responding to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.

• Leadership and change management – guiding teams through transformation and uncertainty.

• Sustainability and lifecycle planning – embedding long-term thinking into asset decisions.

• Risk and compliance oversight – ensuring legal, financial, and reputational risks are managed proactively.

“Competence and expertise are not optional they are the foundation of trust in property leadership.” RICS Property Agency and Management Principles

The Role Is Bigger Than Buildings

You’ll be expected to lead not just the estate, but the vision for how property enables public value. That means:

• Translating corporate strategy into property action

• Balancing operational delivery with long-term transformation

• Navigating political landscapes and community expectations

• Driving innovation while maintaining compliance

“Property assets do not manage themselves – experienced and skilled people manage the construction, the acquisition, the ongoing operation, and ultimate disposal of buildings.” Civil Service Property Asset Management Framework

A Profession in Transition

The Government Property Function now includes over 5,000 professionals across departments and agencies. The sector is undergoing rapid change, with increasing emphasis on:

• Net-zero delivery

• Digital transformation

• Smarter working environments

• Cross-sector collaboration

This means Heads of Property must be adaptive leaders, capable of managing complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities.

“We must build and attract the right skills, acting as an anchor behind wider capability initiatives.” Government Property Profession

What You Need to Be Thinking About on Day One

Your first 100 days as Head of Property will set the tone for your leadership and establish your credibility. This is your opportunity to build trust, demonstrate strategic clarity, and lay the groundwork for long-term transformation. Here’s what to prioritise:

1. Understand the Estate

Begin by developing a comprehensive understanding of your council’s property portfolio. This includes:

• Asset condition and lifecycle stage

• Book value and operational cost

• Strategic importance to service delivery and regeneration

Many councils manage estates worth hundreds of millions of pounds. For example, Cumbria County Council’s estate includes 758 assets with a book value of £530 million, and a total floor area equivalent to six Shard buildings.

“After our people, our property assets are our biggest resource and are key to transforming the way in which we deliver our services.” Derbyshire County Council Estate Management Strategy

2. Meet Key Stakeholders

Property decisions are rarely made in isolation. Early engagement with:

• Service leads

• Finance and procurement

• Planning and regeneration

• Elected members

…will help you understand competing priorities and build collaborative momentum. Councils like Brent and Dorset emphasise cross-departmental collaboration as central to unlocking social value and economic growth.

“Collaboration is key to achieving the best use of our estate.” Dorset Council Strategic Asset Management Plan

3. Review Compliance and Risk

Ensure that statutory responsibilities are being met, including:

• Health and safety

• Fire safety

• CDM regulations

• Energy performance and EPC compliance

The National Audit Office (NAO) recently reported a £49 billion maintenance backlog across the UK public estate, warning that poor property condition is now a principal risk to service delivery.

“Allowing large maintenance backlogs to build up at the buildings used to deliver essential public service is a false economy.” Gareth Davies, Head of NAO

4. Align with Corporate Priorities

Your property strategy must support the council’s wider goals, such as:

• Net-zero commitments

• Levelling up and regeneration

• Housing delivery

• Digital transformation and smarter working

The Government Property Strategy and State of the Estate Report both emphasise the role of property in enabling public service reform, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

“It is not merely a collection of buildings and land; it is a vital enabler that can unlock potential, enhance public services, improve our natural environment and bolster economic activity.” State of the Estate Report, 2023

5. Start with Small Wins

Quick, visible improvements whether it’s resolving a long-standing maintenance issue or improving space utilisation can build trust and momentum. As Forbes notes, tracking three wins a day helps leaders stay focused and credible.

“Momentum is built through small wins. In property leadership, even minor improvements can have major symbolic value.”

What You Need to Be Thinking About Long-Term

Once you’ve established credibility and control in your first 100 days, your focus must shift to transformation. The Head of Property role is not just about managing the estate it’s about reimagining it. Here’s what to think about as you build a legacy of strategic leadership:

1. Transforming the Estate

Move from reactive maintenance to proactive asset management. This means:

• Developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan that aligns with corporate priorities.

• Identifying opportunities for disposals, acquisitions, and repurposing underused assets.

• Using data to drive decisions condition surveys, occupancy analytics, and lifecycle costing.

The One Public Estate programme, now in its second decade, has helped councils unlock £1.4 billion in capital receipts and create 44,000 jobs by repurposing public assets for housing, health hubs, and community spaces.

“We must look beyond bricks and mortar. Property is a platform for transformation, not just a cost centre.” Ellen Vernon, Programme Director, One Public Estate

2. Sustainability

The Government Property Strategy commits to a net-zero public estate by 2050, with interim targets to reduce direct emissions by 50% by 2032. As Head of Property, you’ll need to embed sustainability into every decision:

• Retrofit buildings for energy efficiency.

• Adopt whole-life carbon approaches to new developments.

• Integrate nature-based solutions like green roofs and rainwater harvesting.

• Monitor and report emissions using tools like the Carbon Trajectory Tool and Net Zero Estate Playbook.

“The public estate is fundamental to achieving Net Zero. Every building must be greener, more resilient, and more sustainable.” Alex Chisholm, Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service

3. Digital Transformation

Property is no longer just physical it’s digital. Smart buildings, data-driven maintenance, and remote working infrastructure are reshaping how councils operate.

• Use sensor technology to monitor occupancy and energy use.

• Implement Building Management Systems (BMS) for real-time control.

• Leverage AI and analytics to predict maintenance needs and optimise space.

• Enable hybrid working through flexible, tech-enabled environments.

Despite spending £26 billion annually on digital tech, many public services still rely on legacy systems. Only 47% of central government services have a full digital pathway[4]. Your leadership can help bridge this gap.

“Public buildings are no longer passive backdrops they are strategic assets that shape how services are delivered.” Capita, Digital Transformation in Public Estates

4. Workforce and Culture

You can’t transform the estate without transforming the team. Building a high-performing property function means:

• Recruiting for values and capability, not just technical skill.

• Investing in ongoing training, especially around compliance, sustainability, and digital tools.

• Creating a culture of accountability, innovation, and psychological safety.

• Empowering staff to take ownership and lead change.

Surrey County Council’s leadership programme for 1,700 managers resulted in measurable improvements in confidence, feedback culture, and alignment with organisational values[5].

“High-performing teams are built on trust, clarity, and shared purpose. Property leaders must model these behaviours daily.” Emma Slade, Surrey County Council

What You Need to Avoid

Even the most experienced Heads of Property can fall into traps that undermine strategic goals, damage relationships, or expose the council to risk. Here are five critical pitfalls to avoid and why they matter.

1. Ignoring Planning and Legal Risks

Failing to check planning permissions, leasehold terms, building regulations, or land ownership can lead to costly enforcement actions, reputational damage, and stalled projects. The National Planning Policy Framework and Town and Country Planning Act 1990 set out clear expectations for lawful development, and councils are legally accountable for compliance.

“Almost every failure in property management can be traced back to poor governance and a lack of risk culture.” Local Government Association Risk Management Guide

2. Underestimating Maintenance Needs

Deferred maintenance is a false economy. The National Audit Office (NAO) estimates the UK public estate has a £49 billion maintenance backlog, with poor building conditions directly impacting service delivery, staff retention, and safety.

3. Overlooking Stakeholder Engagement

Property decisions affect service delivery, community outcomes, and political priorities. Failing to engage stakeholders whether internal teams, elected members, or residents can lead to resistance, delays, and missed opportunities.

“Engagement is not a one-off activity. It must be built into everyday work.” Government Communication Service Stakeholder Engagement Guide

4. Focusing Only on Cost-Cutting

Efficiency matters, but value creation is the real goal. Property can unlock regeneration, placemaking, and social impact. The Government Property Strategy urges councils to balance cost reduction with investment in sustainability, service transformation, and community benefit.

“We have a responsibility not only to deliver value for money but also to contribute to a stronger economy.”  Government Property Strategy 2022–2030

5. Neglecting Succession and Resilience

Over-reliance on individual knowledge or informal systems creates vulnerability. Succession planning ensures continuity, builds team confidence, and supports long-term service resilience. Councils like Highland and Broxtowe have implemented frameworks to identify critical roles and develop internal talent.

“Succession planning is not just about replacing people it’s about building organisational strength.” Highland Council Succession Planning Guidance

“Let’s not kid ourselves, there is still big waste in the public sector, and it must stop.” Antonis Samaras

Final Thought

Being a Head of Property in local government is about far more than managing buildings it’s about shaping the future. It’s about leadership, legacy, and public value. You are the custodian of assets that underpin everything from education and housing to health and regeneration. Your decisions influence how services are delivered, how communities grow, and how councils meet the challenges of climate change, digital transformation, and financial resilience.

This role demands courage, clarity, and collaboration. It asks you to think beyond the immediate to see property not just as infrastructure, but as a strategic enabler of change.

“The estate is not just where we work it’s how we work, how we serve, and how we evolve.” Government Property Strategy

So if you’re ready to step up, start by asking: How can I make our estate work harder for our people, our services, and our future? Because in local government, property isn’t just about place it’s about purpose.