This week is a meaningful one in the calendar, as we see the overlap of two important events. Not only do we have the Women In Estate Agency conference on the 5th March (yesterday at the time of this blog going live), but this Sunday 8th is also International Women's Day (no doubt intentionally planned by the brains over at WIEA). For an office which is a majority of women, it’s not just a passing date in the calendar - it’s an important celebration of the women who make base property specialists the success it is today.
We've been proud supporters of WIEA for a while now, and if you caught our blog last year, you'll know we came back from the 2025 conference buzzing. Our very own co-founder An Deckers was on the Agents of Change panel, and frankly had the room transfixed. (More on An in a moment.) But it's not just about the stage moments. WIEA is the kind of event that reminds you why the people around you matter, and this year we wanted to use that energy to shine a light on ours.
So, here they are. The women of base (and of our extended family at The Depositary). The people who keep things moving, keep tenants and landlords happy, and somehow make it all look effortless.
An Deckers - Co-Founder, base property specialists
As co-founder of base, An's helped shape the business from the ground up - building not just a lettings agency, but a culture that genuinely puts people first. And it shows, in the relationships she has with her landlords - they don’t just come to her with lettings questions, but also share with her aspects of their personal lives. An has been to important family events of some of our landlords, including birthdays and also funerals. Her care shines through beyond the simple transactions of running a lettings agency.
Last year at WIEA, she took to the stage as part of the 'Agents of Change' panel and shared a story that left not a dry eye in the house. We won't spoil it here if you haven't heard it… but if you have, you'll understand why it resonated so deeply with a room of 350+ people. She's proof that the most powerful thing you can bring to this industry is your authentic self.
In An's words:
“For me, being a woman in property, it makes me so proud to see how far we have come, there was a time when women in property were often confined to admin or support roles rather than being decision makers. Now, we don’t just have a seat at the table, we build the bloody table. What makes me even more proud is that movements such as WIEA are a guiding light for the women coming up behind us. They won’t need to be pushing as hard to be seen, heard or respected. That is progress. That is worth celebrating!"
Lauren Potter - Lettings Administrator (Though 'Administrator' Barely Covers It)
Lauren is the kind of person who makes things happen. Officially her title is Tenancy Administrator, but the reality is she's also the one booking and confirming every viewing, matching tenants to the right properties, handling the vetting, and more often than not, carrying out the viewings herself. She's a negotiator, a matchmaker, and a momentum-keeper all rolled into one.
She brings an energy to the office that's genuinely hard to replicate, the sort that gets things moving and keeps them moving. If a property needs the right person in it, Lauren's usually the one who finds them.
Oh, and she doesn't come to work alone. Pixie - her miniature long-haired dachshund - is a daily fixture at base HQ, and frankly the most popular member of the team (the office just isn’t the same when Pixie takes annual leave).
In Lauren's words:
“The most fulfilling part of this line of work for me is navigating relationships or solving a curveball no one saw coming. It’s fast-paced, it’s collaborative, and it never feels flat. I can physically point out what my work is by the homes I help people secure. My end goal is to find happy tenants to make happy landlords."
Jay Lodhia - Senior Administrator
Jay brings structure, calm, and a brilliant eye for detail to everything she touches. As Senior Administrator at base, she's the kind of person who can hold a hundred threads at once and not drop a single one - and all with a smile on her face.
She's also quietly one of the most diversely knowledgable people in the office - with a background in property management she can handle plenty of scope beyond what her title suggests. The sort of colleague you can turn to when you need assistance you can trust.
In Jay's words:
"What makes working at base a more supportive environment? GOSH where do you want me to start! Considering I left 4 different agencies all within 2 years and I haven’t even kept track of how long I have been here, should say it all! base is better. Period. Whether that’s environment, people, clients & customers experience. It’s clear I have upgraded."
Carla Burnett - The Depositary
Carla works for The Depositary, our sister company, and the team that shares our office space on the daily. If you're not familiar with The Depositary, they're the people revolutionising how tenancy conclusions and deposit returns work in the lettings market (and doing a brilliant job of it).
Having Carla around means we get to collaborate directly with someone who understands the property industry deeply, with a - and whose energy is nothing short of infectious.
In Carla's words:
“My favourite part of my job is that I get to be a part of it all, and I mean ALL of it. We're a team of three, and I'm involved in almost everything, which is exciting. I also love that I get to show up every day exactly as myself, without filtering or masking anything."
