By Keith Newman, Highlights PR
If you spend even five minutes with Jamilah Hassan, one thing becomes immediately clear: she genuinely loves people.
Not in the vague, polite way many of us claim to, but in a way that energises her, drives her work, and shapes the growing success of her property business, JH Property Connect, based in South Tyneside.
“I honestly don’t know what it is,” she laughs. “But people just feed my soul.”
While many talk about their “social battery” running out, Jamilah says she experiences the exact opposite.
“I hear people say they can’t be in a room full of people for too long and I just can’t wrap my head around that. For me, people energise me. I love hearing people’s stories. I love hearing about their families, what they do for fun, what they do for work. ”
That natural curiosity about others has become a powerful asset in her professional life.
From music to property
Before stepping into the world of property investment, Jamilah had another passion – music. At just 19 she joined a girl band that auditioned for The X Factor, making it to the final stage of boot camp.
“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” she recalls. “I was surrounded by some of the most incredible singers I’ve ever heard.”
After leaving the competition, the group supported artists including Lemar, Taio Cruz and J.L.S., before Jamilah later moved to London to pursue a solo career, writing and recording music.
“Music has brought me so much joy for so long,” she says. “And I’m still singing now. I’ve just finished recording new material.”
But while music remained close to her heart, another opportunity was beginning to take shape.
Building a property business
After several years working in the property sector, Jamilah realised there was a growing demand from professionals who wanted to invest in property but simply didn’t have the time or knowledge to manage the process.
That insight led her to launch JH Property Connect, a company that builds property portfolios on behalf of investors and busy professionals.
“Starting a business isn’t easy,” she says. “It takes a lot of time, effort and focus. For the first year I wasn’t even really talking about it because I was so busy building it.
“Our clients are usually business owners or professionals who want to invest in property to create a better future for themselves and their families, but they don’t have the time to do it themselves.”
The process begins with an in-depth consultation where clients outline their budget, preferred location and investment goals.
“Some care more about rental income, others want long-term capital growth, and some are focused on tenant demand. Every client is different.”
Once the criteria are clear, Jamilah and her team take over. Through relationships she has built with estate agents across the North East, the team sources suitable properties before conducting viewings, calculating refurbishment costs and presenting detailed investment figures to clients.
“If they like the numbers, we negotiate on their behalf, handle the legal process with solicitors, take it through to completion and even arrange refurbishment and tenant management if they want it.”
In short, she says: “They come to us saying ‘we want to invest in property, this is our budget’, and we do the rest.”
A people business
While property might appear to be about bricks and mortar, Jamilah insists the reality is very different.
“Property is a people business, regardless of what anyone says,” she explains. “Yes, it’s a building, but the whole process is about people – the investors, the sellers, the agents, the solicitors, the builders, the tenants. And the more people I get to interact with, the happier I am.”
One of her favourite projects perfectly demonstrates the approach.
A two-bedroom terraced property in Newcastle was purchased for £83,000. Instead of simply refurbishing it, Jamilah saw an opportunity to add value by converting it into a three-bedroom home.
“With the refurbishment and conversion, the total investment was around £115,000,” she explains. “But the estimated market value afterwards was between £155,000 and £160,000.”
For her client, the strategy created immediate equity and a stronger long-term investment.
Business with purpose
Alongside growing her company, Jamilah has also ensured community support sits at the heart of the business.
Inspired by her work with the Banks Group, a Durham-based developer known for its community funding programmes, she created JH Cares, the charitable arm of her company.
“I knew that if I started a business, it had to give back,” she says. “I couldn’t do one without the other.”
The organisation’s first initiative was a Christmas Eve meal project supporting people facing homelessness and families in need.
Working with local restaurants, South Tyneside Council and the People’s Kitchen in Newcastle, the project delivered 160 hot meals across the region.
“It was just incredible,” she says. “We had so much support from businesses and the community. My son helped deliver meals with me, along with family and friends. Those moments are priceless.”
For Jamilah Hassan, success isn’t simply measured in properties or profits. It’s measured in people. And in the North East communities she cares so deeply about that philosophy is already making a lasting difference.
jhpropertyconnect.co.uk