In 2021, Dean Jones was honoured among eight leading figures in the UK’s construction and development industry under the list titled “Black Excellence in the Building Industry” as published by Construction Management. This recognition marked a milestone in his more than 25-year career spanning architectural technology, surveys and project management in the UK, and has underscored his drive to mentor, empower, and transform.
Yet, the story did not stop at recognition. Now, with Jamaica facing urgent real-world challenges, Dean’s role as founder of Jamaica Homes takes on enhanced meaning — combining his international experience with a deep local commitment.
The Current Landscape: Jamaica Under Storm
The Hurricane Impact
In late October 2025, Jamaica was struck by Hurricane Melissa — a Category 5 storm that caused extensive destruction across the island. Key impacts:
- Large-scale destruction of homes, infrastructure and communities, with some regions reporting up to 90% of homes damaged in certain parishes.
- Power and utility outages affected hundreds of thousands of households, and temporary housing and relief operations are being rolled out by the government.
- The economic consequences are severe; loss in housing, tourism, agriculture and public infrastructure will influence the real estate and construction sectors for years.
Implications for the Real Estate Market
For Jamaica’s property market, these developments hit several fronts:
- Risk awareness: Buyers, sellers and landlords must now consider not only the regular factors (title, valuation, location) but also hurricane-resilience, proper drainage, structural soundness and disaster exposure.
- Demand for resilient housing: Homes built or retrofitted to withstand major storms become even more valuable.
- Change in investor mindset: Both local and diaspora investors may re-evaluate risk vs reward, with locations, construction quality and insurance implications now front of mind.
- Community rebuilding and opportunity: While tragic, the rebuilding phase opens opportunities for upgrading housing stock, repositioning properties and creating value in a more resilient marketplace.
Dean Jones and Jamaica Homes: Advice for Today
Dean’s platform Jamaica Homes has published timely guidance in light of the hurricane, which offers practical advice for homeowners, buyers and investors. For example:
Key take-aways from his “hurricane-proofing” checklist:
- Inspect roof fixings and replace rusted screws; reinforce truss-to-wall connections with proper hurricane clips.
- Shorten or reinforce eaves; ensure proper drainage and waterproofing of concrete slabs to avoid leaks and fatigue.
- Anchor windows and doors, clear surrounding debris, and avoid exposed wind-facing site locations.
- Even with good construction, site choice matters: positioning on slopes, ridges or “wind tunnels” can greatly increase risk.
- Adjust investment criteria: assess not just the structure but the micro-location, exposure to wind, flooding, slope, and local infrastructure resilience.
Strategic advice for Jamaica’s real estate market:
- For prospective buyers: factor in resilience premium — willing to pay a bit more for a well-constructed home in a good location rather than taking shortcuts.
- For sellers/landlords: highlight resilience features (reinforced roof, secure windows, elevated site) as part of your value proposition.
- For agents and brokers: broaden your advisory role to include risk-assessment, not just market value and legal compliance.
- For investors (domestic or diaspora): think long-term – in a climate-unstable world, properties with resilience are likely to outperform and hold value better.
Conclusion: Gratitude, Purpose & Forward Motion
Dean’s recent recognition is a moment of gratitude — acknowledging his journey and the mentors, opportunities and lessons that shaped him. But crucially, in today’s Jamaica with rising climate impacts and shifting real-estate dynamics, that recognition becomes purpose in motion.
We pause to give thanks — for the life, the lessons, the people, the communities that stay strong — even as we face real challenges.
And then we act: building homes that last, investing in places that matter, helping Jamaicans at home and abroad to believe in property not just as a transaction, but as a legacy.
In the words adapted for our time:
Sometimes we need to pause and thank God for the blessings in our lives — instead of focusing only on the challenges. 🙏🏽
Dean’s story reminds us: honour is not the end point — it’s the starting line for the next challenge.