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Kate Rhatigan, with her brother and sister, runs Winterbrook, a home builder based in Dublin.

In our chat, Kate describes the contribution small builders like Winterbrook make to the supply of housing, describes what it is like working in a male dominated industry and tells a quite incredible story about why her face was on posters around south Dublin (hint: it was to do with planning).

More than anything, the discussion highlights the importance of small, family run construction businesses. They make up more than 60% of the housing market and are therefore a vital part of the solution to the housing supply problem.

Some items from the episode:

• Winterbrook Homes https://www.winterbrook.ie/
• Poor by Dr. Katriona O'Sullivan: https://www.easons.com/poor-katriona-osullivan-9780241996768
• Report of Housing Commission https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f3551-report-of-the-housing-commission/

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We talk about our domestic problems a lot, but do we have any worse than other places? This month on The Build I speak with Mathieu Fleury of Leader Lane Developments who tells me all about how difficult it is to get building in Toronto, Canada. Some of their problems will sound very familiar, others are very surprising. Did you know the Canadian government will give developers 95% LTC financing at 50bps? I sure didn't.

The episode ventures deep into the evolution of Toronto's real estate scene over the last two decades. Discover how regulatory changes, such as the introduction of a green belt, steered developers towards high-rise condominium projects. Get an insider’s view on the meticulous process of developing a condominium, from zoning hurdles to securing pre-sales for financing. Mathieu and I explore the distinctive zoning dynamics of Toronto, including the challenges posed by the "yellow belt" and the scarcity of mid-density housing options. Mathieu also gives us some insight into mass timber construction, which he is now deploying at a mid rise development in suburban Toronto.

Some links from the episode:

• Leader Lane https://leaderlane.ca/
• Toronto's tallest building https://condos.ca/toronto/one-bloor-1-bloor-st-e
• Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/
• MLI Select https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/project-funding-and-mortgage-financing/mortgage-loan-insurance/multi-unit-insurance/mliselect
• Book recommendation: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuclear-War-Scenario-compulsive-non-fiction/dp/1911709593

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Kate English from Deloitte succinctly explains the overwhelming amount of data that exist on the need for housing, along with some upcoming demographic trends that really matter. This episode is a must listen if you care about the future of the housing sector. And of course we talk about Taylor Swift.

Some details from the episode:

• Taylor Swift post link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kate-english-2a19a9a3_swiftonomics-consumerspending-hospitality-activity-7212476534991765504-LVjR?utm_source=combined_share_message&utm_medium=member_desktop
• https://www.esri.ie/housing
• Deloitte Crane survey: https://www.deloitte.com/ie/en/Industries/financial-services/research/crane-survey.html
• Book recommendation:
  • Easons: https://www.easons.com/the-accomplice-steve-cavanagh-9781409198758?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw74e1BhBnEiwAbqOAjNmqRZy9nlQIZxuM92l8jnJXSM2X0BCvLX-M-QvDUXsJp6IVqrsRAhoCYMQQAvD_BwE
  • Author’s website: https://www.stevecavanaghauthor.com/