My name is Mark Benham, I’m Head of Real Estate at Lester Aldridge. I advise housebuilders on land promotion, acquisition and development. Outside of work, my passion is music.

There’s a growing understanding that better places to live are created when we listen – truly listen – to the people who will live there. This is especially true in the later living and care sectors, where insight-driven development and inclusive design can support healthier, happier lives.

Our latest guest is Ali Powell, CEO of Commercial Acceleration and an occupancy growth specialist with 30 years of experience in the later living, care home, and hospitality sectors. She is known for her data-driven, customer-first approach to driving occupancy and revenue growth – and is a passionate advocate for housing that is not just needed, but wanted.

Away from the boardroom, Ali is a keen musician and used to play the drums in a classic rock band, playing the songs of Free, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac and others.  Let’s hear from Ali…

Mark: You are appointed Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for one month. You are given the power to make immediate legislative changes to drastically improve sales rates for newly-built homes. What’s the first change you make?

Ali: No new development should receive feasibility sign-off without demonstrating robust, evidence-based customer research — not a vague sense of ‘demand’, but genuine insight into the target customer. That means proper segmentation, psychographic profiling, and tools like conjoint analysis. Before adding a swimming pool to the specification, ask real people: “Would you be willing to pay £10,000 more per year in service charges for this, or would you rather save the cost and invest in something you’d actually use?”

It should be standard practice that we involve the community far earlier – designing with them in mind from the outset and keeping them involved throughout. In my view, this customer-led, insight-driven approach would drastically improve sales rates and deliver developments people genuinely want to live in.

Mark: What was the first, and most recent, music gig you attended?

Ali: My first was Kylie Minogue in Hong Kong — I lived there for the first 20 years of my life, and it was pure pop magic. Glitter, energy, and a crowd that knew every word. My most recent was Ludovico Einaudi. I love his music — it’s calming, cinematic, and I even play some of it on the piano (enthusiastically, if not always perfectly!).

Mark: Week two as Secretary of State, and the PM tells you to implement a new policy to accelerate delivery of specialist housing for the elderly. What would you do first?

Ali: I would introduce a fast-track planning route for high-quality, age-inclusive housing that demonstrates clear health, social, and economic benefits.

In addition, I would invest in nationwide education for stakeholders — from planning officers and councillors to investors and the public — to challenge outdated perceptions of what retirement housing, later living, and care homes really are. Too often, they’re viewed as medical or institutional, when in fact they offer lifestyle-led, community-focused environments that support independence, improve quality of life, and free up much-needed family homes.

If we want to speed up delivery, we need both planning reform and a shift in mindset. Poor understanding leads to poor decisions, and that’s holding back a sector that has the potential to transform how we age in the UK.

Mark: What’s your favourite venue for live music?

Ali: The Royal Albert Hall. There’s something magical about it — the elegance, the history, the sheer beauty of the architecture. It’s a venue that makes every performance feel like an occasion. The acoustics are incredible, and there’s a sense of tradition and grandeur that you just don’t get anywhere else. The music fills the space in a way that gives you goosebumps. It’s timeless.

Mark: What housing project that you’ve been involved in are you most proud of?

Ali: One of the projects I’m most proud of was working across a portfolio of care homes where we delivered a 51% increase in occupancy within just six months — generating over £4.2 million in additional annual revenue.

The success came from building a fully integrated, customer-led approach across marketing, sales, and experience. I developed a comprehensive customer experience manual, redesigned the sales process, and delivered tailored training to help teams engage with empathy, structure, and purpose.

On the marketing side, we focused on segmentation, targeting, and positioning to ensure that we understood exactly who we were trying to reach and what messages would resonate. We identified the most effective channels, stopped wasting budget on what wasn’t working, and aligned communications to key moments in the customer journey.

Mark: Favourite album — name the first that comes to mind.

Ali: Madonna (1983). It was the soundtrack to my early years and total pop perfection. I grew up in Hong Kong, and Madonna felt bold, rebellious, and completely different from anything else at the time. That album was fun, unapologetic, and full of energy — and it made a lasting impression.

Mark: What one technological advance do you think will help accelerate the delivery of housing in the UK?

Ali: Modern methods of construction (MMC), especially precision off-site manufacturing. It’s not new, but it is finally gaining traction and when done well, it can cut build times significantly, reduce waste, and improve quality.

It allows for greater standardisation without compromising design, and it makes phasing and delivery far more predictable — which is key when you’re trying to align sales, marketing, and occupancy. For later living and care-integrated housing in particular, where delays cost lives and revenue, MMC could be a game-changer.

Mark: Dream headline gig – who headlines, who supports, and where’s the venue?

Ali:

• Headline act: Madonna — iconic, fearless, and constantly reinventing herself. I’ve always admired the way she evolves and stays ahead of the curve
• Support act: Snow Patrol — their music is soulful and powerful, and they actually inspired me to take up the drums. A perfect build-up before the main event
• Venue: An open-air amphitheatre on the Amalfi Coast at sunset — stunning views, great acoustics, and a glass of something chilled and bubbly in hand. Bliss.

Mark: What advice would you give to someone entering the property development industry in a sales role for the first time?

Ali: Start by understanding that you’re not just selling property — you’re guiding people through a life transition. Whether it’s a first move, a fresh start, or a shift into later living, it’s emotional, complex, and often full of uncertainty. That means your role is part sales, part psychologist, and part guide.

Take the time to learn the entire customer journey — from the first moment someone hears about the development to the day they move in. Every touchpoint matters. Empathy, timing, and emotional intelligence are far more powerful than any script.

Sophisticated sales and marketing in this space means creating trust, not pressure. When you truly understand your customer in terms of their needs, fears, aspirations, and stage of life — everything else flows from there.

Mark: Sum up the state of housebuilding in the UK with a song.

Ali: A Little Less Conversation – Elvis Presley.

Because what we need now is a lot more action. The sector is saturated with policy papers, pledges, and bold housing targets — but we’re consistently falling short on actual delivery. We’re not building enough homes, and we need to shift focus toward inclusive, future-proof housing that truly reflects how people want to live.

If you need further advice about any of your real estate requirements, please contact Mark via email at mark.benham@la-law.com.

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