For an individual who has demonstrated outstanding performance in sourcing and securing prime and super-prime residential property for HNW individuals.
Property Adviser of the Year
Thomas van Straubenzee
Knight Frank
‘He has a phenomenal soft-spoken gravitas and is unflappable around very HNW clients,’ said one industry peer of Thomas van Straubenzee. The co-chair of Knight Frank’s Private Office has developed a reputation for being a go-to adviser for billionaires seeking super-prime residences. Our judges felt he and his clients were benefiting from his commitment to discretion. He has ‘kept his head down and bought himself immense loyalty’, noted one judge.
He joined Knight Frank when it acquired VanHan (which he founded with current colleague Rory Penn and Giles Hannah, now of Binghatti). Penn tells Spear’s van Straubenzee is ‘the best person in the industry’.
Rory Penn – Knight Frank
In a highly competitive category, Rory Penn got the nod in recognition of both his client service and leadership. A co-director of Knight Frank’s private office, he spearheads the firm’s annual wealth report, which has evolved into one of the brand’s hallmarks.
Our judges noted that with Penn at the helm, the private office has gone global and has attracted top-tier talent, and ‘it’s not about earning a commission, it’s about looking after their clients’.
Another judge commented: ‘Nobody comes close to him in terms of how he presents himself. He’s just a different beast.’
Jo Eccles
Eccord
