Lockdown diaries: Rubix Real Estate’s Natalie Lelliott

Natalie Lelliott is a co-founder of commercial real estate agency Rubix Real Estate. She shares a day in central London, from a socially distanced client coffee walking around Green Park to hopping on the Tube for site visits. I had my first child six months ago and started my business two months later. I have struggled to find the time to exercise and so inspired by a recent Joe Wicks interview, I thought I would give his early morning workout routine a go. One blessing I have had is my daughter’s sleeping habits, as she already sleeps through to 6.45am (most days anyway). At 5.15am my alarm goes off and after hitting snooze a couple of times I get up at 5.30am and head downstairs to start my exercise routine before getting ready for work. At 6.45am I head into my daughter’s nursery. I get the most incredible beaming smile. Juggling being a first-time mum and launching a niche commercial estate agency business has not been a walk in the park. However, they were two challenges I had planned for. Something I had not planned for was for both to take place during a global pandemic and with the entire UK workforce moving their office to their kitchen tables. My business partner Ollie Hawking and I launched Rubix in May with a view to really driving change in the London office leasing market. We felt there was a lack of diversity and dynamism in the industry and there needed to be a fundamental shift towards more sustainable buildings that truly reflect what future generations will demand from their workplace. Enter Covid-19 and what tenants want has turned on its head. With people more receptive to change, there is an even bigger opportunity for us. It is 1 September and I briefly glance at the headlines during my commute. The furlough scheme is starting to phase out and there is news of a potential rise in unemployment due to redundancies. My overriding feeling is “let’s get back to business” and it is great to see more people on the train platform. At 8.30am I arrive at Chancery Lane to meet Ollie in a local coffee shop. We always have a quick morning catch-up to structure our day.  I have to make time to lead the company and also focus on clients. No two days are the same and I’ve taken on many aliases, from leasing agent, to human resources, marketing and accountancy. The days are long, but I have set a ground rule that the working hours are for clients and this is when I am focused on them. My first Zoom call starts at 9am with a marketing and leasing meeting on one of our projects, 11 Cursitor Street, EC4. We are having the call from the building. Today I am Zooming back-to-back from 9am to 11am. Lately I have been meeting more people for a socially distanced coffee. People seem genuinely shocked when you ask them, but then they jump at the idea. At 11.45am I grab two takeaway coffees and meet a client in Green Park for a stroll to discuss opportunities and their wider portfolio. Confidence in the London market remains high and they are openly looking for new investment opportunities. There are generally more people in the centre of London today than in previous months, which is encouraging. We need to support local businesses to get them back on their feet while also being diligent to avoid a second spike. I eat lunch on the go as I head to a viewing on Charlotte Street with a prospective occupier from the creative industry. From there I head back east to inspect a new leasing instruction on Curtain Road. The Underground is my mode of transport today and I’m armed with my face mask and hand sanitiser. I feel safe, the carriage feels like 50% occupancy and everyone is very courteous. During my travels, I study social media. I want to stay on top of the next trends. These can include marketing tools, sustainable design and the latest proptech innovations. In my view, we have to change the way we design, build and use our workspaces. This is important now more than ever, as employees will be far more focused on safe and healthy working environments and will want to work for businesses that can offer this. I spend the rest of the day on the phone updating clients, speaking to occupiers about their workplace strategy and to other agents to book in viewings of our buildings on Charlotte Street, Curtain Road and High Holborn. In the present market conditions it’s a hustle and it takes a certain level of discipline and patience to move with the fluctuating daily demands of the business and other people’s businesses. At 6pm I head home. Evenings are mostly reserved for family, though my phone will never be far from my side. My husband and I try to ensure we are around for bath time and today I manage to get home just as the bath is being run. After putting my daughter down to sleep, my husband cooks supper while I switch on Netflix and tune in to my guilty pleasure, Selling Sunset. If only commercial agency was this glamorous. I then head upstairs to the study. Evenings and weekends are saved for company admin, which includes dealing with invoices, researching and writing our latest blogs, editing pitch documents, editing my website, creating blog graphics and creating a social media schedule. We are also looking into a charity partnership so I scan for some potential contenders. I finish the day by quickly checking my inbox before hitting the hay.