BNP Paribas Real Estate (BNPPRE) has announced it has signed another highly individualistic, well known and talented agent with the appointment of Katrina Love as Director to its West End Agency team.
Katrina joins Simon Knights’ growing team following 11-years’ in Colliers’ Central London Offices team, and prior to this worked at Cushman & Wakefield and DTZ in Occupier & Investor Services. Her appointment follows the arrival of Andrea Williams Wedberg who joined the West End Agency team last month as Sales Director.
Speaking on his newest hire, Simon Knights, Head of West End Agency at BNP Paribas Real Estate commented, said: “In idle moments, and recently almost weekly, most firms have made lists of their favourite agents to create a dream West End leasing team. Very rarely does the opportunity arise to put together that team in reality. I believe I have been lucky enough to allow my imagination to become reality.
“I am not looking for talented people to fit into a team. I am looking for talented people to stand out. BNPPRE is creating a podium placed team that is based on providing traditional values in an innovative way with lashings of personality. We have three words that make up our mantra and they are the three words clients really mean when you strip away the padding – Get It Let. Kat lives and breathes our mantra. The team and I are so looking forward to working with her.”
Etienne Prongue, the CEO of BNPPRE, commented: “Simon is creating a leasing team that has its culture based on his ideals of client service. His team is part of the new central London business group that I have created at BNPPRE. This talented group grows steadily stronger by the day and I look forward to sharing more strategic hires in the coming months”.
Katrina Love said of her new role: “Simon and his team are a highly regarded leasing team in the market and have a fantastic reputation amongst agents, owners and occupiers alike, which I know to be true having worked jointly with them on a number of projects over the years. At a time when so many exciting things are happening at BNP Paribas Real Estate, and in the market, it’s the team you want to be on.”
Simon is a long-time advocate for putting sales at the beginning of the client and customer experience. His team has started trialling, with a few clients, providing a direct link between leasing mandates and a qualitative assessment of Social Value to give back to clients clear and positive social value proposals that are capable of delivery.
This initiative comes as the West End Agency market continues to thrive post-Covid. Simon expects rents to leap by 25% in the next 2 years in Mayfair and St James’s, with over £200.00 per square foot as the market level for great buildings.
