With the 2025 WhatHouse? Awards just around the corner, Rory Wilkinson, digital editor of Show House, sat down with Cormac Henderson, co-founder and executive chairman of Awards sponsor, Spring, to find out more about the company and what drew them to get involved with the event.
Tell us a little about Spring and your role at the company
Spring is the UK’s leading home buying and part exchange service provider, working in partnership with housebuilders, retirement developers, and estate agents to provide a smooth, chain-free selling experience for homeowners. As co-founder and executive chairman, I focus on strategic direction, innovation projects, and key relationships to ensure we continue to deliver exceptional service to our partners and customers. Our mission is to remove the stress and uncertainty from the home-selling process, making it more straightforward and accessible for everyone.
What role does part exchange play in the buying and selling process and how does Spring support housebuilders?
Part exchange is an extremely powerful tool for housebuilders to help unlock additional sales, improve the customer journey, and ultimately drive commercial growth. It removes the need for the housebuilder’s customers to sell their home on the open market, which can be fraught with uncertainty, delays, and broken chains. At Spring, we provide a fully managed part exchange solution that gives housebuilders confidence and flexibility. Our service is fast, reliable, and backed by decades of experience in the property sector, ensuring customers can move into their dream new home without hassle.
We’ve also recently expanded our Managed Sale product, designed for customers where Part Exchange isn’t quite the right fit. Leveraging SpringIQ, our intuitive valuation platform, we ensure accurate property valuations and identify the best-performing local agents to partner with. Spring valuations are proven to be 4% more accurate than RICS surveys (based on internal Spring data measuring purchase valuations against achieved outcomes).
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What was it that attracted you to sponsoring the WhatHouse? Awards?
The WhatHouse? Awards are a cornerstone of the UK new homes industry, celebrating excellence, innovation and commitment to quality. We’re passionate about supporting the sector and recognising the incredible work being done by developers of all sizes across the country. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals who are shaping the future of UK housing.
How important are the WhatHouse? Awards to the housebuilding industry?
They’re hugely important. The Awards set a benchmark for quality and ambition in the industry. Winning, or even being shortlisted, is a mark of distinction that resonates with customers, investors, and peers alike. They also foster a sense of pride and motivation within teams, encouraging continuous improvement and innovation.
What is your favourite part of attending the WhatHouse? Awards?
It’s a great opportunity to connect with key partners and industry stakeholders. The energy in the room is always electric. It’s a rare chance to bring together the entire industry from suppliers to boutique developers and national housebuilders. Having supported the awards for a number of years now, what’s really impressive is seeing how the quality of homes being showcased continues to grow and evolve year on year.
What does the future hold for Spring and how does sponsoring the Awards support that?
Spring is on an exciting growth journey. We’re expanding our product range to include Managed Sale, expanding deeper into multiple sectors within the property industry, investing heavily in cutting edge AI-enabled technology, and enhancing our services to meet the evolving needs of homeowners and developers. Sponsoring the awards aligns perfectly with our own vision – it reinforces our commitment to excellence and positions us at the heart of the industry and the people we serve. It’s about building relationships, sharing ideas, and being part of the conversation that helps ensure a thriving housebuilding sector for the future.
