As an award-winning and well-known thought leader in the real estate recruitment space, Madison Berkeley has always done things differently. Their team expertise comes from years of real estate recruitment experience. However, what sets them apart is their genuine interest in building relationships and supporting other organisations that are also on a journey to change the face of real estate. Over the last few years, Madison Berkeley has partnered with Black Women in Real Estate on the I Am Woman campaign as well as Ladies in Real Estate on the award-nominated campaign, Empower Equity, and they continue to raise those issues in our industry, which are holding back change. Madison Berkeley Co-founders Clare Coe and Nina Zeilerbauer continue to build their networks to benefit their clients and their candidates, as well as to learn where the sticking points are in our industry. Each month, they bring you an in-depth interview with an industry figure. This month, we caught up with Victoria Morgan, Head of Asset Management at Catella APAM. Victoria’s journey into real estate wasn’t the conventional one. We spoke with her about career pivots, finding your voice, and how dyslexia became one of her greatest strengths.

Spotting the patterns early:
My first brush with real estate came while I was still a student at Metropolitan Leeds, studying psychology. Interested by the stark increase in property values and the increasing local population, there was an opportunity to invest in a house and rent the extra rooms to cover the mortgage and fund my university lifestyle. That first purchase led to a refurbishment project, then another, and by my early twenties, I was running a small buy-to-let portfolio. Looking back, it was the start of my career in the industry, even if I didn’t recognise it at the time. I was learning first-hand about lettings, budgets, marketing and refurbishments, all before I knew these would later form the foundations of my professional life. I have always had a curious and solution-oriented mindset, paired with an ingrained, robust work ethic. I was intrigued to discover what I could achieve in the residential market, balancing a full-time career once I graduated. At the same time, my dyslexia – only diagnosed later in life – was already shaping how I worked. It meant I saw patterns, opportunities and solutions quickly. That way of thinking has been at the heart of every role I’ve had since.

From property manager to leading industrial asset strategy:
After qualifying as a chartered surveyor, I took a senior property management role at DTZ. Two years in, someone pulled me aside and said, ‘Your name keeps coming up – we think you should interview to lead the Yorkshire office of an industrial fund.’ I was younger and less experienced than the other directors (and most of the team I managed!), and industrial was new to me, but I got the job. In the interview, I was upfront about what I didn’t know – but I also laid out exactly what I would do if given the opportunity. My boss later told me, ‘You were given the role for your clear determination and honestly, you were the only candidate to tell me what you couldn’t do and how you would change out of what you couldn’t do. ’ I loved the challenge. Under my leadership, surrounded by a talented team, the Yorkshire region went from second-worst to second-best performing. I focused on empowering the team, who were an incredible bunch of professionals. They just needed to know I had their back and trusted them to deliver within their judgement and expertise. I wasn’t there to micromanage; I was there to help them fly.

Psychology, dyslexia, and leading through people:
Studying psychology gave me a foundation I draw on every day. At its core, real estate is about people, understanding what drives them, what they need, and how to unlock performance. If you can listen, build trust, and provide clarity, people will want to deliver. That’s how you get the best from teams, tenants, partners, and clients alike. Being diagnosed with dyslexia later in life helped me understand how I do that differently. I process information in a way that allows me to cut through complexity quickly and get to the root of an issue. It’s made me more direct, more focused, and more solutions-oriented. But it’s also made me more empathetic. I know that people think and work in different ways – and that difference is a strength, not something to fix. That combination – psychology as a toolkit, dyslexia as a perspective – has shaped how I lead. It’s taught me to value range in people and to create the kind of environment where teams feel seen, supported, and empowered to do their best work.

The culture at Catella APAM:
Before joining Catella APAM, I’d worked with the team as a client and always came away impressed. It was clear they combined deep expertise with integrity, humility, and high standards. There were no egos – just people who cared about doing the right thing, and doing it well. I joined as Head of Asset Management (South) and have since broadened my remit to include leading our national asset management platform, as well as property and facilities management and, more recently, business development. Today, Catella APAM manages £1.3 billion AUM across 11 mandates, spanning private clients, institutional investors and the public sector. That breadth of work is one of the things I enjoy most – whether it’s advising an overseas investor, working alongside a local authority and repositioning a legacy industrial asset, no two days are the same. In addition to working with best-in-class asset managers, I’m proud of how we’ve strengthened our property management offer. We’ve built a team that doesn’t just manage buildings – they deliver measurable value. On one recent instruction, we identified and delivered over £400,000 service charge efficiencies. That has a material impact on returns – and it reflects the calibre of the people we’ve brought together.

Diversity is smart business:
At Catella APAM, diversity isn’t performative – it’s embedded in how we think, hire and lead. I’m proud to be part of a leadership team where women head up Asset Management, Property Management, and sit at the board table as Managing Directors. But for us, it goes far beyond gender. Our team brings a broad mix of backgrounds – people who were the first in their families to go to university, career switchers from other industries, second-language speakers, and professionals from a range of cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and neurodiverse experiences. That variety fuels the way we work and how we solve problems. Homogeneous teams are more prone to groupthink. When everyone shares the same background, ideas tend to go unchallenged. But when you build a team with range, you don’t just get conversation – you get constructive friction. And that leads to sharper thinking, stronger strategies, and better outcomes for our clients. Diversity makes us more effective – and, ultimately, a better, more curious and more thoughtful business.

The industry now:
Real estate is an incredible industry to be a part of. It’s fast-moving, people‑centric and full of opportunities for curious, creative thinkers. There’s no single path – you can build a career in countless ways. And the networking element is powerful. Some of the best learning happens informally, just by listening and asking questions. But like any industry, it has areas that need to evolve, ensuring drive for diversity is genuine and not just a tick box exercise. There has been real progress, and I’m optimistic about the direction of travel. But there’s still more to do, and it’s important we keep moving forward. Looking back, the best piece of advice I have received from one of my real estate heroes is to just back myself. If I could speak to my 21-year-old self, I would say to ignore the noise and egos, keep your head down, chin up and power through – it will be the recipe for success! Looking back over my circa 20-year career in real estate, I have been blessed to work with some incredible professionals, inspiring, bright, entrepreneurial, hardworking and humble people, many of whom I am humbled to call good friends. I am now focused on growing Catella APAM’s industrial business, to complement our work across office, retail and residential assets. This sector is my background, and even with the national market slowing, there’s real opportunity – especially with smart, joined-up asset and property management. We’re already active in the sector, and we’re building on that momentum. It’s a space I know well, and I’m excited about where we can take it. One thing I always try to impart to the team is that the data is relevant – how does it compare the market, what does it mean in the context of the market? Setting the team’s sights higher.