LPF Member in Focus - Ebury Comms
This week LPF Founder, Priya Rawal caught up with Holly Cleave, Senior Account Director at longstanding member Ebury Comms.
Holly, it’s so great to catch up! So tell us what makes Ebury Comms special?
Ebury specialises in luxury property and interior design comms. Alongside bespoke PR campaigns, we manage events, partnerships and social media channels for a select number of exclusive brands in the UK and internationally. We are a small team of passionate real estate experts, who enjoy building relationships with clients to a point where we are often seen an extension of internal sales and marketing teams.
And what led you to your current position?
I began my career in real estate working in-house for Knight Frank Mayfair, handling the marketing and PR for its prime and super-prime instructions. After three years, I decided to make the jump agency life and haven’t looked back since. I spent the next few years at an integrated PR agency in London Bridge where I honed my skills launching new London developments and promoting overseas and UK estate agents, before moving to Ebury in 2020. Since then, I’ve grown my network across the luxury landscape, managing the campaign for a once in a lifetime project in London, managing European resorts and branching out in new areas of interior design and architecture.
9 Millbank. Photo credit: Matt Livey
And what does a typical working day look like to you?
I split my week between working from home and the office with the Ebury team in Belgravia. One of the things I love about my job is the variation and as no two campaigns are the same, it means no two days are either. Days in the office are typically dedicated to creative time, brainstorming ideas with the team, pitching new trends and story ideas to journalists, meeting clients on site or planning media events. When I’m at home by myself (plus two dogs), I tend to get my head into the tasks that require more focus – drafting press releases, organising press trip logistics, scheduling social media content or preparing briefing documents for clients ahead of events or interviews with journalists.
It sounds so interesting and so busy! So, are you working on any exciting projects currently?
Always! I’m currently heading up the campaign for The Country House Department, a dynamic property agency who are shaking things up in the country market – take a look at their website if you are thinking of a move to the countryside next year. I’m in the final stages of a campaign with The Heritage Collection at 9 Millbank, a project that I will be sad to see come to a conclusion, and that has generated some of the most incredible results over the past two years. As a team, we’re all very excited about our recent win of Sims Hilditch, a quintessentially British interiors studio who consistently delivers elegant, lustworthy designs that put my London flat to shame. There are also a couple of big new developments in the pipeline for 2024 but you’ll have to stay tuned on those…
Cotswold Manor House designed by Sims Hilditch. Photo credit Christopher Horwood
Amazing! And what has been your career highlight so far?
Getting to my current position where I love what I do, working with the best team in the business and representing the most iconic projects globally
Do you have any advice for someone looking to venture into your area of the luxury property industry?
Get out and make an effort to form relationships with journalists. Editorial coverage is the foundation of a successful PR campaign and that is made so much easier when you have a solid book of contacts to rely on. I’d also say, keep an eye on the wider luxury industry, there are so many cross-overs between real estate and luxury goods, automotive, travel, you name it. Understanding HNWI and UHNWI habits is key at this level of the market.
Extremely good advice! What do you love most about the luxury property industry?
Getting to see some of the world’s most incredible destinations. I feel very fortunate to step inside some really knock-out homes and developments that only the word’s 1% will ever get to see. Even if that skews my sense of reality somewhat!
The Country House Department
This is true! and finally, what does luxury mean to you?
Non-stuffy, flawless service and endless details that someone has thought of for you.