When the British Property Federation needed a sharp, early-career Policy Officer to support a growing real estate brief, Membership Bespoke delivered a swift, insight-led search that resulted in the perfect fit.
Our Client - The British Property Federation (BPF)
The British Property Federation (BPF) is a membership organisation representing those involved in property ownership and investment across the UK. As a highly respected voice in the built environment, the BPF advocates for policy that enables a diverse, sustainable, and successful real estate industry.
The British Property Federation plays a key role in representing the views of its members (including property owners, developers, funders, agents, and advisers) to government and industry stakeholders - particularly on legislative and regulatory issues that impact the property sector.
The Brief
The BPF approached Membership Bespoke to recruit a new Policy Officer to support their real estate policy team, following the internal promotion of the previous postholder - who Membership Bespoke had also successfully placed.
With the residential sector growing at pace, BPF needed someone who could confidently contribute to public affairs campaigns, shape consultations, and engage meaningfully with both members and government.
This hire was both a continuation of a successful recruitment partnership between the British Property Federation and Membership Bespoke, and a key opportunity to bring in fresh energy at a pivotal time for the industry and sector.
Our Solution
We began with a detailed video briefing between our Head of Permanent Recruitment and Policy & Public Affairs specialist, Madeline Newbon, and Sarah Spencer, BPF’s Head of Operations and People, to understand the type of person they were looking for.
We learned that the client was open to someone “fresh” with a level of experience, as long as the foundations were right. Initially, the client also ideally wanted someone with exposure to the property or housing sector, which was a niche area not often combined with early-career policy experience.
Through discussion, and drawing on our experience in the membership sector, we knew there was a wide pool of talented early-career policy professionals with transferable skills - particularly those coming from other trade associations and professional bodies. We decided to focus our search on candidates with strong research and communication ability, public affairs experience, and a genuine interest in policy development, regardless of whether they came from a property background.
We launched a dual approach:
- Targeted advertising across selected partner and niche job boards and our own website
- A focused search through our 19k+ UK candidate database and extensive professional networks
Madeline led the shortlisting process, applying her policy-sector insight to ensure we filtered for candidates with the right mix of political awareness, written clarity, and stakeholder confidence.
Our Results
The process moved very quickly, and the client was grateful for the pace and efficiency:
- We submitted our shortlist to BPF within our standard two-week turnaround timeframe.
- The first interview rounds happened one week later.
- The final interview round happened within another week, with the final offer being made to their chosen candidate on the same day!
In total, the process wrapped up in around four weeks, which is a real advantage to any membership organisation looking to secure top talent quickly.
The appointed candidate came from another membership association, where they had led impactful public affairs work and built strong relationships with policymakers. With a master’s degree in policy, proven research capabilities, and excellent stakeholder communication skills, they were the ideal match - even without direct property experience.
Their background, energy and professionalism made them a natural fit for the BPF team.
“We needed someone who could hit the ground running, manage a broad policy brief, and communicate effectively with our members and with government. Membership Bespoke found us just that, quickly and professionally. Their sector insight and honest, straightforward approach made for a smooth process from start to finish.”
- Sarah Spencer - Head of Operations & People, British Property Federation