Runway East CEO's 5 Minutes With Property Week

Natasha Guerra, CEO of Runway East, sat down with Property Week for their 'Five Minutes with...' feature, to discuss how she got started in property, her day-to-day job, and some of the biggest barriers she has faced in the industry. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

What barriers or challenges have you overcome?

WeWork – more specifically, the age of venture-subsidised office space consumption. It has not been easy trying to grow a profitable business in a sector where from 2015 onwards some crazy money flowed in and people were selling desks at prices that were not sustainable. On the flip side, price competition meant our focus on creating something truly valuable to our customers was not only an aspiration but a necessity. So, I am thankful in a way for WeWork, as it forced us to be better every day.

What are you most proud of in your career?

That we have grown Runway East to nine spaces without any institutional funding. We have a profitable model and are championing ‘space as a service’ with a unique approach in the industry, of which landlords are taking notice.

What advice would you give someone starting a career in the property industry?

Regardless of your career path, I cannot stress enough the value in mentorship and networking. People rarely say ‘no’ to meeting up – seldom do they hold back on sharing best practices and what they wish they knew.

Natasha also shared her top recommendations of things to read and listen to, as well as her dream superpower:

If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to jump queues without question, so I would always be guaranteed a coffee in Pret."

You can read the full interview with Natasha here on the Property Week website.

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