Kate Donneky, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Rhodium, talks about her journey in real estate, bet on the super prime market, branded residences, and being a working mum. She discusses the importance of super prime clients, being an operational partner, and shares where she would invest £500m. Catch the full episode for more insights!
Kate Donneke's traditional route into real estate was inspired by her interest in geography, architecture, and human geography, leading her to co-found Rhodium.
Rhodium differentiates itself by focusing on the super-prime market sector, emphasizing bespoke consultancy services and operational partnership over traditional roles.
Rising standards in residential management have brought better control, legislation, and accountability, reshaping the concept of exclusive residential spaces and attracting younger profiles and international investment.
Deep dives
Kate Donneke's Journey to Rodeum
Kate Donneke, co-founder and managing director of Rodeum, shares her traditional route into real estate through a combination of interest in geography, architecture, and human geography. Inspired by design, she pursued a real estate masters after her undergraduate degree. Kate's childhood interest in architecture and her exposure to regeneration concepts led her to eventually co-found Rodeum alongside Dean Maine.
Rodeum's Approach to Super-Prime Management
Rodeum differentiated itself by focusing on the super-prime market sector, providing bespoke consultancy services and emphasizing operational partnership over traditional managing agent roles. Their early success securing Finch Attain's boutique development in Knightsbridge showcased their detailed consultancy approach, investing in professional pitches and differentiating themselves from Knight Frank and Rindley & written of the competition.
Building Rodeum's Success and Strategic Investments
Rodeum's scaling involved a combination of organic growth through relentless pitching and strategic investments to elevate standards in the industry. Three rounds of investment saw the Royal Family of Monaco, ex-founder of Addison Lee, and a tech entrepreneur becoming shareholders, providing valuable advice, synergies, and insights into enhancing operational efficiency and service quality, positioning Rodeum as a leading operational partner in the super-prime market sector.
Rising Standards in Residential Management and the Concept of Super Prime
Rising standards in residential management have significantly improved over the last decade, bringing forth better control, legislation, and accountability in the industry. The emergence of Super Prime properties, defined by values above 5 million pounds, coupled with specific high-end areas like Mayfair and Knightsbridge, reflects a shift towards luxury rental products and sophisticated residential offerings. The demand for such properties has diversified, attracting younger profiles and international investment, reshaping the traditional concept of exclusive residential spaces.
Expanding Horizons: International Ventures and the Evolution of High-End Management
With a focus on international expansion, the podcast explores ventures into new territories such as Athens and Dubai, where prime residential and commercial real estate markets are thriving. The strategic navigation into international projects, like the Athens airport site's regeneration and consultancy in Tokyo, showcases a growing demand for high-end property management worldwide. Additionally, the shift towards branded residences and the blending of luxury standards with operational excellence indicate a dynamic evolution in the real estate management sector.
Described by Spears magazine as the most important super-prime property company you have never heard of - Rhodium specialises in providing bespoke development consultancy, property and lifestyle management services to London most prestigious residential developments.
The current portfolio is more than £12 billion pounds for a range of clients including Brockton Everlast, Ronson Capital Partners, Northacre, Finchatton, CIT & Almacantar.
In her role as Managing Director Kate oversees the daily running of the business, managing the head office and working closely with all departments to ensure their clients are delivered the highest levels of service.
Prior to Rhodium, Kate spent her early career as a Chartered Surveyor at Nelson Bakewell/Capita Symonds working in the national investment and commercial management teams. Her educational background includes a Geography BA Hons from the University of Exeter and a Real Estate MSc from Oxford Brookes University. I sat down with Kate to discuss a broad range of subjects which covered some of the following topics:
* How she got into real estate
* Taking a bet on the super prime market 10 years ago
