Asha Agarwal, Founder of Inspire New Homes, shares her journey from starting at 19 to leading a consultancy  and why resilience, mentorship and leadership matter.

 

Returning to L&Q — where my career began at just 19 — felt incredibly special.

But what made it unforgettable…
was my former manager, Kuldeep Kelly Vedash, turning up to surprise me.

20 years later, and it felt like no time had passed.

The Moment That Changed Everything

I’ll never forget a conversation early in my career.

Our CEO at the time, Steve Walker, asked:

“How would you manage someone like Asha?”

Her answer?

“If I don’t, someone else will recognise her potential and hire her.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

Sarah Butler and Stacey Mitchell took that chance on me — and I’ve been in property sales ever since.

Coming Full Circle

Standing there this week, speaking at International Women’s Day 2026 as part of the Give To Gain series, I reflected on that journey.

From a 19-year-old trying to find her place…
to becoming the Founder of Inspire New Homes…
to being invited back to speak.

It was a full circle moment.

The Truth About Career Growth

One message came through clearly from every speaker:

Success is built on resilience — but it’s accelerated when you have a plan.

And more importantly…

  • Your career won’t always go to plan
  • You will face setbacks
  • You will question yourself

But the biggest risk?

Getting stuck.

Why Resilience Matters More Than Perfection

In the housing and property sector — particularly in sales and development — we often focus on outputs:

Targets.
Numbers.
Performance.

But behind every successful career is something far less visible:

  • Someone who backed you early
  • Someone who opened a door
  • Someone who saw potential before results

For me, that made all the difference.

A Message to Those Starting Out

Where you start does not define where you end up.

Whether you’re:

  • Entering the sector
  • Changing direction
  • Building confidence
  • Or stepping into leadership

The key is to keep moving forward.

Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
Keep backing yourself — even when others haven’t yet.

The Role of Leadership in Unlocking Potential

As leaders, we have a responsibility.

Not just to deliver results — but to spot potential early and create opportunity.

To:

  • Build confidence
  • Support growth
  • Open doors

Because sometimes…

One person believing in you is all it takes to change everything.

Looking Ahead

I’m incredibly grateful to L&Q for inviting me back as part of the Give To Gain series.

And to the inspiring speakers — Cathryn Rowley, David Lewis, Heléne Johansson and Yuliya Praslova — for sharing such powerful and honest stories.

Final Thought

Because sometimes…
all it takes is one person to see your potential.

And everything changes.

About Inspire New Homes

At Inspire New Homes, we work with local authorities, housing associations and developers to unlock sales performance, improve customer journeys and deliver real commercial impact.

We don’t just advise — we embed, deliver and drive results.

If you’re looking for support across:

  • Sales strategy
  • Marketing consultancy
  • Customer journey transformation

Or a speaker on resilience, leadership and career growth — we’d love to hear from you.