Meet the Speaker - Tom Goodman
It’s just over a month until the NRLA’s UK Housing Conference in Liverpool, with our ‘Meet the Speakers’ series introducing you to just some of the experts set to take to the stage. Here we talk to Tom Goodman, managing director at the Goodlord Group, on how tech can help you streamline your business.
As a young graduate, eager to make his mark in the world of work, Tom Goodman came across an opening with a London startup.
Then with a staff of just six, that start-up was NRLA partner digital lettings platform Goodlord, now one of the UK’s leading proptech firms, but Tom liked what he saw.
Fast-forward 10 years and, after starting as a junior account manager, he is now running all agent operations as managing director of the group.
“Property is something everyone can relate to because everyone needs a home”, said Tom, “but what I am particularly passionate about is how we can leverage tech to create better experiences for people looking to invest.”
Problem-solving
What sets Tom apart isn't a technical background - his degree was in history - but rather exceptional problem-solving abilities. “I understand how tech works at a high level, but I'm not a coder. I'm the person understanding the opportunities and pain points that exist in an industry and what the solution might look like.”
Tom will join the ‘Shaping the future of UK property’ panel at the NRLA UK Housing Conference on November 5, which will focus on developing new, hi-tech solutions to old problems.
He said referencing fraud is one of the major challenges facing landlords today.
He said: “The industry has typically relied on phone calls with an employer," he explained. “But how do you know that you're speaking to an actual employer or just someone's mate pretending to be their manager?”
Even if you ask for written proof today’s forgeries are so sophisticated it can be difficult to discern whether paperwork or emails are really what they claim to be.
He said: “As tech has progressed, especially AI, you just can't trust that a payslip or business documentation is real anymore, it's genuinely scary what you see what AI can create these days.
Tom – and Goodlord's solution – centres on what Tom calls "trusted third parties" - partnerships with 83% of UK payroll providers, open banking technology, and HMRC integration that verify information at source rather than relying on potentially fraudulent documents.
It’s for this reason that Goodlord has recently become the NRLA's exclusive referencing provider.
Looking ahead, he believes the complexity of modern property management, allied to legislation like the Renters' Rights Bill, creates opportunities. He said: “The focus needs to be on helping landlords and property professionals navigate complexity through technology."
“There are numerous compliance requirements that can be streamlined, to make things more manageable on a day-to-day basis through innovation thought and new technology."
NRLA conference
The NRLA’s annual conference is in its fourth year and has gone from strength to strength since the inaugural event in 2022. Former speakers have included then-Housing Secretary Michael Gove, former Dragon’s Den star James Caan CBE and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
This year’s conference will be hosted by the award-winning business journalist Steph McGovern, with speakers including property guru and property expert Sarah Beeny.
To secure your place at this year’s UK Housing Conference click here.
More information
For all the latest announcements on speakers, check out our website and follow us on social media.
