This week on The Viking Chats, I’m joined by someone who has quite literally grown alongside the modern private rented sector – Theresa Wallace, Compliance Director at Savills and Chair of The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC).

Releasing in the week of International Women’s Day and on the eve of annual WIEA event, this episode couldn’t be more timely.

Theresa’s journey begins not in a corporate boardroom – but in a bedroom. In the early 1990s, after converting properties with her husband and experiencing both sides of the landlord–tenant relationship, she launched her own lettings business from home. No computers. No CRM. Just a word processor, paper files, and a determination to understand every part of the job.

What followed was rapid growth, leadership roles, and eventually joining Savills – where she built lettings departments from scratch and went on to become one of the most respected compliance voices in the country.

But this conversation is about far more than career milestones.

We dive deep into:

▪ What lettings looked like in the early days of the Housing Act
 ▪ Why the industry was once fiercely competitive – and how collaboration has transformed it
 ▪ The birth of TLIC and how a small group in a room became a respected government voice
 ▪ Why shouting at policymakers doesn’t work – but solutions do
 ▪ The professionalisation of the PRS and why regulation, when done properly, strengthens our sector

Theresa shares candid reflections on the Tenant Fees Act, Renters’ Rights reform, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and the upcoming PRS database – including the very real concerns about digitisation, integration, and manual processes.

There’s a fascinating discussion around UPRNs, digital-first frameworks, and why government departments must stop working in silos if reform is going to succeed. This isn’t abstract policy chat – it’s practical insight from someone sitting in the rooms where these conversations are happening.

And perhaps most importantly, we explore leadership.

How do you influence government without alienating them?
How do you represent an industry without defending the indefensible?
How do you raise standards without creating panic?

Theresa’s message is clear: professionalism is not about resisting change – it’s about shaping it.

From early days when lettings was largely female-led but commercially underestimated, to today’s far more balanced and respected profession, her perspective offers a powerful reminder that progress doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people step forward.

This episode is essential listening for:

✔ Letting agents navigating reform
✔ Agency leaders wanting clarity on what’s coming
✔ Landlords seeking informed guidance
✔ Anyone who believes our industry should lead, not react

There’s warmth. There’s pragmatism. There’s a healthy dose of realism about what will be tough – particularly around court reform and digital implementation – but also optimism about the direction of travel.

If you care about standards, leadership, digital innovation and the long-term credibility of our sector, this conversation is not one to miss.

🎧 Tune in now to The Viking Chats.

Because the future of lettings won’t be shaped by those shouting the loudest — but by those willing to sit at the table and do the work.

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