Guest host Neil Watt, Chairman of Hacking & Paterson and a highly respected voice in UK property factoring and block management, takes over the interviewer’s chair to put Brian Welsh, Managing Director of CPL Software and host of Blocktalk, firmly in the hot seat.

Neil leads a candid, wide-ranging conversation shaped by questions submitted by clients and listeners. Together, they explore Brian’s journey into the sector, leadership and business philosophy, the realities facing property managers today, and what lies ahead for the industry across Scotland, England and Wales.

The discussion spans:

• Property factoring and block management across the UK
• Transparency, trust, and industry perception
• The growing role of AI and technology
• Business culture, leadership, and work-life balance
• Regulation, reform, and future challenges

Insightful, honest, and occasionally light-hearted, this episode offers a rare chance to hear Brian Welsh reflect openly on the industry he’s helped shape, guided by someone who knows it inside out.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube

Deeds of Conditions shape how shared buildings are managed, but they’re often confusing, inconsistent and misunderstood. In this episode, Brian Welsh sits down with:

• Mike Guthrie, Partner at Burness Paull LLP

• Jaqueline Borthwick, Managing Director at The Property Factor Professional

They unpack the realities behind title deeds, from how they’re drafted at site setup to how they’re lived with decades later. Expect honest commentary on:

• Why older deeds are so challenging

• The Development Management Scheme and modern drafting trends

• When deeds become unmanageable for factors

• How sales questionnaires fail to tell the full story

• What homeowners think their deed says vs. what it actually says

• Enforcement, the Property Factors Act, and gaps in regulation

• The balance between transparency, practicality and cost

Whether you're a homeowner, developer, factor or solicitor, this conversation sheds light on a part of property ownership that affects almost everyone, yet is rarely talked about clearly.

In this second special episode of Blocktalk, Brian Welsh is joined by Paul Sweeney MSP and David Doran (Vice Chair, TPI Scotland) for a wide-ranging and urgent discussion on transparency, trust, and the future of Scotland’s tenements.

Prompted by recent coverage in The Times, the conversation explores the complex questions facing homeowners, factors, and government, including who’s responsible for repairs, how costs are shared, and what meaningful reform could look like.

Topics include:

• Inherited debt and conveyancing gaps
• Sinking funds, five-year inspections, and financing long-term maintenance
• Misaligned incentives, reactive repairs, and public confidence
• The case for better transparency, regulation, and cross-sector collaboration

Whether you’re a homeowner, policymaker, or property professional, this episode offers valuable insight into one of Scotland’s most pressing housing challenges.