We Can Do the Whole Journey | Howard Lord Talks to Insider

Our founder, Howard Lord, recently spoke to Insider Media about the journey behind CERT Property, from launching a small land consultancy business to building a multi-sector developer and property management company operating across residential, commercial, and Build to Rent sectors.

Today, we deliver and manage schemes across the UK, but Howard admits that a career in property was never originally part of the plan. Before property, Howard had very different ambitions. His goal after university was to work abroad and build a career somewhere completely new and exciting.

“My dream was to go and get a job in some far flung corner of the world and do something really exotic and exciting.”

After securing a graduate role with a shipping company in Mombasa, Kenya, Howard was preparing to relocate when the opportunity unexpectedly fell through just weeks before his departure. Looking for an alternative, he joined his father’s property consultancy business, an experience that would ultimately shape the future of CERT.

“When I was 23, I set up what became CERT, but at the time was rather unimaginatively called Land Search. We searched for land generally for PLC housebuilders.”

Adapting Through Change

Following several successful years, the 2008 financial crash dramatically changed the property landscape. Housebuilders paused acquisitions, mortgages became increasingly difficult to secure, and activity across the sector slowed significantly.

“All of a sudden, the housebuilders no longer wanted to buy sites. The market seized up, and mortgages became unavailable.”

Rather than standing still, Howard adapted quickly, following opportunity wherever it existed within the market. This led to Land Search supporting national food retailers in acquiring sites that were no longer needed by housebuilders. That ability to evolve with changing market conditions has remained a key part of our approach ever since.

Seeing the Potential in Manchester

As confidence slowly returned to the market around 2011, Howard turned his attention towards Manchester’s emerging city-centre residential sector.

“This was around 2011, when the green shoots were coming through for city centre living. I started focusing a lot more on Manchester.”

At the same time, one of Howard’s developer clients struggled to secure funding for schemes, creating an opportunity to move into off-plan sales. What started as a new avenue quickly developed into an international sales operation.

“We built up a really strong sales arm. At the peak of it, prior to Covid, we had an office in Hong Kong, an office in Singapore, and we were doing a lot of sales in the Far East.”

From Consultancy into Development

With strong relationships across both land acquisition and international sales, Howard made the move into development directly. CERT’s first scheme was the conversion of an office building on John Dalton Street into four apartments. Since then, we’ve delivered a diverse range of residential and commercial schemes across the UK.

Alongside development, our in-house property management division has continued to grow nationally.

“We’re just taking on our first properties outside the North West. We’ve taken on some down in Birmingham, and some down in London.”

Creating Community Through CERT Life

Technology has become an important part of our property management approach through CERT Life, our resident experience platform designed to enhance community living and connect residents with local businesses and operators.

“We partner with local operators, like food and beverage venues or retailers and offer things like early access tickets to events.”

The platform has been designed to improve both customer experience and operational performance, helping create stronger communities while supporting long-term tenancy and occupancy levels.

SONA in Ardwick, set to complete in 2026, will become the first fully CERT Life-integrated Build-to-Rent scheme managed entirely by our in-house team.

Delivering Standout Commercial Projects

Alongside residential development, CERT has also delivered several significant commercial refurbishments across the region. One standout project is the transformation of Liverpool’s Duke & Parr building,  a Grade II-listed former library converted into a modern workspace.

“Every element you stripped away, there was a new incredible feature, because it was actually four different buildings all joined together over the years.”

The project began just before the COVID-19 pandemic, creating uncertainty around office demand. However, the scheme ultimately secured a major occupier after Sony acquired a gaming company initially interested in the building.

“They decided to take the whole building. It was the biggest letting deal in Liverpool in three years.”

Looking Ahead

Looking to the future, we continue to expand into new sectors and locations.

The business is currently progressing plans for a hotel development at the former Shena Simon Campus overlooking Sackville Gardens in Manchester, while also delivering new residential schemes across growth locations, including Eccles and Stretford. In Stretford, we are set to deliver 116 homes as part of the town centre masterplan, including townhouses, duplexes, and apartments. Howard also sees growing opportunities within suburban Build-to-Rent and single-family housing.

“We’re just considering the options on some sites to deliver houses as well as apartments, which could be single-family built-to-rent or private sales.”

Alongside development, continuing to grow our management platform remains a major focus for the business.

“We’ve got about 500 residential units under management and 500,000 sq ft of commercial space. We’re not just developers, we can do the whole journey.”

As we continue to grow nationally, the business remains rooted in the same entrepreneurial mindset that first inspired our founder, Howard, to launch Land Search more than two decades ago, adapting to change, identifying opportunity, and creating places that connect people and communities.