Q&A with Jesse Lapham

Jesse Lapham

National Director | Research & Data

How long have you worked with Burgess Rawson and what does your position entail?

“I joined Burgess Rawson in April 2022 to head up the research department, with my role being to provide in-depth data and analysis on all activity in the Australian commercial property market.

When I started, it was clear there was an opportunity being missed. As market leaders in the sale of premium leased investments, Burgess Rawson required someone to help showcase that authority to clients.

We sell five times more than our closest competitor, in an average of just 31 days. But historically, we’ve not had the resources to communicate our sheer volume of data, so my role is crucial to ensuring our expertise is shared and recognised by the market. Burgess Rawson may be a leading sales agency, but sales is not what we lead with. Our goal is to help everyday Australians on their pathway to creating wealth through knowledge, expertise, and advice. My role is to empower our agents with of-the-moment industry insights, so they can help clients take the next step in their property journey, with confidence.”

How has your role evolved?

“Initially my role was to ensure our market position was underpinned by solid data and to provide our clients with key industry insights that they can’t get anywhere else.

Since I’ve been with the company, my position has evolved into one that works closely with our key stakeholders and marketing department to ensure our successes are underpinned by concrete data evidence. Future-proofing and scaling our research department has also been critical. Significant audit, update, and implementation of our key technology platforms has bolstered our operations, allowing us to provide an unmatched knowledge hub for investors and owners both locally and internationally.”

What has Burgess Rawson enabled you to accomplish?

“When I started in this newly created position, I was encouraged to set my own parameters and define how I could deliver on the business’ needs. To learn those needs, I’ve had to take a holistic view from day one, of a company that has grown at a phenomenal rate over the last two years. This journey of discovery has forced me to think strategically, enabling me to advise and innovate at a higher level than in any of my previous roles.”

What fascinates you about commercial property and Burgess Rawson?

“Property is tangible. You can see it, touch it, feel it. The same applies to data and research, it’s tangible and measurable. I also embrace the challenge and variety that commercial real estate offers. Working closely with agents at the submission stage is something I enjoy, assisting them in the collation of data that’s going to benefit the vendor is something I never get tired of.”

What’s been a highlight?

“The launch of our Industry Insights Reports series has been the biggest highlight so far. The first edition was released in April this year and focused on the fuel and convenience retail sector. Since then, we’ve released an edition on early education, and the next release will deep dive into healthcare.

The purpose of this series is to provide investors and owners with key industry data and unbiased statistics. Helping underpin Burgess Rawson’s market-leading position, these reports have proven incredibly valuable, and garnered interest from the likes of Charter Hall, Suncorp, and Korda Mentha, who have all engaged Burgess Rawson to provide specialised industry commentary for their investors.”

What is your focus for the next 12 months?

“My focus will be to continue streamlining processes and platforms, and evolve our data collection, and analysis to support our agency team. Like many businesses, we will be embracing AI and looking to leverage its capabilities to assist our clients on their property journey.

I also plan to continue delivering our Industry Insights Reports and develop our new sector-specific Industry Snapshots. The initiative is currently in its infancy but is already gaining traction since we’re already known as the unofficial barometer of Australian commercial property.”