Bricks and Clicks From pub snooker to property empires, the former Navana CEO turned a chance encounter into a multimillion-pound strategy - proving that success is less about square footage and more about psychology.

Harry Fenner isn't your typical property mogul. A self-made multi-millionaire and former CEO of Navana Property Group, he's spent his career reshaping the property game - ditching the dusty playbook for something sharper, smarter, and built around people. From urban regeneration to high-stakes estate management, Fenner's approach blends strategy with a deep understanding of human behaviour. At the heart of it all? A belief that modern property success isn't just about bricks and mortar - it's about mindset, innovation, and mastering the psychology of business. Entrepreneur UK finds out more...

What inspired you to start your business?
I've always been drawn to opportunity. At 21, I took over security for a multi-let office in Cobham - nothing glamorous, but it gave me a taste for the built environment and the people who shape it. That led me into residential property management in London, but it was a chance game of snooker and a pint with my granddad in Swinton that changed everything. I met a homeowner facing repossession, made him an offer, and completed the deal. In my earlier days, I was leveraging bridging finance to strategically acquire undervalued properties, particularly through auction houses, where speed was essential. The model was simple but highly effective: I'd identify assets with significant upside - say, a property available for £100,000 but with a market value closer to£200,000. Traditional lenders would typically offer a loan based on the purchase price, perhaps £90,000 in this case, which wasn't fast enough for auction timelines. So, I'd use a bridging facility to secure the asset quickly. Once the property was in my name, I'd refinance it based on its actual value - not the purchase price. A lender might then offer me £180,000 against the £200,000 value. That allowed me to repay the bridging loan - capital and interest - and still walk away with around £80,000 in cash and £20,000 in equity, all without putting in any of my own capital. I repeated this process systematically, scaling quickly with minimal personal exposure. Navana was born from that drive: to do things differently, with more transparency, more innovation, and a better experience for the end user. I didn't want to build another old-school property firm - I wanted to reshape how value is delivered in real estate.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Holistically, the greatest challenges I've ever faced in business haven't been about numbers or strategy - they've been about people. Managing expectations, aligning personalities, and understanding the psychological dynamics behind every negotiation are where the real work lies. You can forecast markets and model returns, but people are never that predictable. Success often comes down to your ability to read the room, build relationships, and navigate complex human behaviour with empathy and clarity. At its core, business is psychological - it's about relationships, communication, and influence.

How did you secure your initial funding?
My funding journey started deal by deal. After those early acquisitions, I reinvested heavily - into people, tech, and longer-term plays like land and planning gain. But beyond capital, it was about building a track record that investors could trust. I learned early on that investors don't just want returns - they want to understand the risk, the person behind the deal, and the economic logic. I backed that up with proper analysis, a clear proposition, and skin in the game. Later, we brought in strategic investors aligned with our long-term vision - people who didn't just want to fund property, but to reshape how it's delivered.

How do you handle failure or setbacks?

I've faced my fair share of setbacks over the years - it's part and parcel of being in business at a high level. The higher you go, the more resistance you face, and sometimes it's not just professional - it can get personal. I've dealt with hostility from people who've made it clear they were out to undermine me. Pushback from planning departments is one thing, but when you're in the thick of it and there are hundreds of millions of pounds on the line, it can get vicious. I've been involved in plenty of litigation, which is never easy, but you learn to navigate it. Despite all of that, I'm still driven. I'm in the process of launching a completely new business right now, and it's something I'm

genuinely excited about.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to scale up their UK-based business to £5m in annual revenue?
My advice to someone looking to scale their business to £5m - or beyond - is never one-size-fits-all. It completely depends on the individual and the nature of the business. Are they in finance, retail, property, or international trade? Each path requires a different approach, and just as importantly, each person brings their own strengths, weaknesses, and mindset to the table. What I look at first is the person - their willpower, determination, and emotional resilience. Scaling a business isn't just about throwing punches - it's about being able to take them. The journey will test you in ways you can't always prepare for, and the difference between those who make it and those who don't often comes down to resilience. You have to be able to stay standing when things go wrong, when deals fall through, when people let you down. That mental toughness - the ability to keep going, to keep solving problems, to stay focused - that's where the real battle is won.