South Wales landlord and property investor Mandy St John Davey has been named as one of the world’s top 10 self-made women entrepreneurs by tech giant Microsoft.

St John Davey built her property portfolio after being forced to leave corporate employment due to ill health 25 years ago. Starting with small, terraced properties in need of renovation and refurbishment, she also bought new builds before expanding her business through purchases in Canada and Cyprus.

Passionate about breaking down barriers for women in the sector, she was one of the few female landlords 25 years ago, she tells LandlordZONE. However, although there’s now a 50:50 split, there are still far fewer female portfolio landlords, while many women have just one or two properties.

Factor

“Finance can be a factor,” she says. “Women typically have lower earnings and lenders can penalise career breaks through affordability criteria.”

She reckons it’s important and particularly helpful for women to have mentors and networks which can inspire confidence as this can lead to starting joint ventures with other women. “Men are often told to think big while women are told to be careful. I think it’s important for everyone to be informed and then be bold.”

St John Davey believes women can make great investors as they are typically good at thinking analytically, are strong at due diligence, checking figures, juggling lots of roles and are empathetic.

People

However, she acknowledges: “Property is about people and buy-to-let isn’t about gender – it’s about competence.”

St John Davey has been focusing her attention on mentoring in recent years – both men and women – as she approaches retirement and says it’s important to help others. She has also served as national chair of Women in Property UK and received an MBE in 2023 for services to working women.

“I’m a real believer in holding your hand down and pulling the next person up, making sure you always leave your ladder down.”

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