A big hello and welcome to our newest Canning O’Neill colleague Fionnuala McCallion who joins our team this month – bringing with her a wealth of agency experience and a huge appetite to immerse herself in the North West’s property world. In this interview, Fionnuala – who is 26 and hails from North Manchester – talks about her past, her plans for the future, and her visionary ideas that will help promote our properties.
I’m thrilled to officially join Canning O’Neill, taking the next big step in my property career.
I love this line of work, something I’ve done since joining Lambert Smith Hampton in 2018. I worked really hard in that role, especially as I studied for my degree in Real Estate alongside my day-to-day job. It wasn’t easy doing both at the same time, but it really set me apart from other young people in the industry, giving me practical experience and the opportunity to work with clients.
That’s the best thing about my job, meeting people and getting out there to see their schemes. It’s something I did a lot of in the early days at Lambert Smith Hampton where I focused on lettings in the retail and leisure sectors, before then rotating to the capital market team where I ended up focusing on PRS (private rented sector) and BtR (build to rent) sector – before finally moving over to the valuation team, specialising in commercial valuations.
By the time I graduated I was itching to get back to agency, and that’s when the Canning O’Neill role came up. Office deals is absolutely where I want to be; the shift in this market since the pandemic really fascinates me. The demands from occupiers are so different than what they were even a few years ago, with so many requirements now prioritising the right kind of interior design – it’s a transition from corporate to comfort, flexibility and style for the end users.
This shift, along with the explosion of social media platforms in recent years gives agents like Canning O’Neill a huge opportunity, and that’s why I’ve already seized the opportunity for us to stand out with our marketing.
In my first few weeks I’ve tried to evolve our social media; While Canning O’Neill already has a well-performing website and strong social channels, my goal is to take it to the next level. I aim to provide a deeper insight into the spaces we represent, offering prospective occupiers a more comprehensive view of how these environments can effectively cater to their modern demands.
And I’m introducing a new series of virtual tours, helping occupiers get under the skin of our schemes.
In both my roles – either supporting on deals or with the marketing – I’m just getting out there, seeing great places and meeting our clients. I’m already loving it and can’t wait to learn more as we move forward.
