"Buy the View" with Harrods Estates
Simon Barry of Harrods Estates tells us about exceptionalism, why ‘light and airy’ is the new ‘mean and moody’ and advises new home purchasers to ‘buy the view’.
Please tell us about your role and responsibilities at Harrods Estates.
My role is to win and manage new development instructions and to build relationships with UK developers. I’m also responsible for the pop-up marketing suite in the store and work with Harrods Media to attract developers from all over the world to showcase their properties in Harrods, offering the great benefit of their development gaining exposure from Harrods’ daily footfall of 42,000 customers.
What do you think the Harrods brand stands for?
Harrods above all stands for exceptionalism. At Harrods Estates we need to provide an exemplary professional service to both clients and applicants. We ensure every touchpoint of the customer journey is dealt with seamlessly, securing long term relationships with clients who return again and again. And we aim to secure the best instructions, which is what our customers expect.
How does the strength of the Harrods brand help promote your new build properties abroad?
The Harrods brand is internationally recognised, far more so than any of the big names in property services. So at Harrods Estates we start with an advantage and find that people all over the world trust our brand and see it as an endorsement of the exceptional properties we promote.
What are the current new build schemes you're focusing on?
We are focusing on anything in our core locations: Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair, as well as the best riverside developments.
Which areas do you sell properties in beyond London?
Outside central London, we find our clients are drawn to locations like St George’s Hill, Wentworth, and Ascot where there are large detached houses on private estates with high security.
You offer a 'Harrods Luxury Property' space on the second floor of the world-famous store; how does this help both developers and potential buyers?
The Luxury Property space provides a unique opportunity for developers to establish a presence in the heart of Knightsbridge where they will find a high concentration of potential Middle East and Asian buyers as well as high net worth customers from all over the world. For buyers we offer a selection of the best developments in Central London and Dubai as well as other key international destinations. We can talk to applicants who are visiting London about locations which they otherwise wouldn’t have time to research.
What advice do you have for anybody looking to buy a new home?
Buy the view.
Is there a particular type of person who tends to be drawn to Harrods Estates?
Our customers are cosmopolitan in outlook and tend to prefer new build. But contrary to some misconceptions, only a minority are from the Middle East.
How are you finding the new build market in central London at the moment?
Right now we are finding the market for completed property stronger than for off plan. And as always there is limited supply in the most desirable locations.
What are the latest interior trends that are attracting most attention from your buyers?
‘Bright and airy’ has taken over from ‘dark and moody’ – we see more and more buyers liking clean tiled floors, marble or porcelain, whereas in the past everyone wanted oak or walnut, or carpet.