_Priya Black: “It’s a very male-dominated industry… we need more female role models”

For Knight Frank's Inspirational Women series, Priya discusses working in a male-dominated industry and the need to achieve more balanced representation in senior roles.

March 07, 2024

Priya Black’s fascination with the world of real estate has been a driving force throughout her career. Her professional journey began after graduating from university when she landed a role in Marketing for new homes at a real estate company. Reflecting on her choice, she shares, “Why did I fall into it? I always loved the idea of working in property because primarily I’ve got a love for architecture and interior design. With hindsight, sometimes I think I should have studied architecture at university.” In 2007, Priya brought her passion to Knight Frank, starting in the Residential Development team in Leeds before relocating to the London headquarters in 2010.

Family legacy and career highs

Inspired by her father, a seasoned property developer, Priya’s childhood fascination with his work evolved into a lifelong passion for real estate. In 2013, at the age of 31, Priya achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming one of the youngest women to be promoted to Partner at Knight Frank. “I remember being incredibly proud,” she recalls. “Especially because of my parents’ reaction. They were so delighted for me.” Another defining moment in her career was her involvement in the iconic Kings Cross development, a 14-year project nearing completion. Priya reflects, “I’ve learned so much from the project and of course made some mistakes along the way, but I’ve also made lifelong friends. To see the project come to a close is easily my proudest career moment.”

Championing change

With over 17 years at Knight Frank, Priya has witnessed substantial changes in the real estate industry. “It’s a very male-dominated industry now and it was even more so in my early years,” she explains. With a dearth of senior female role models, Priya drew inspiration from Alistair Elliott, Knight Frank’s former Chairman. “He’s still a role model to me,” she says. “His charity work with LandAid and everything he’s achieved throughout his career is incredible. He’s taught me a lot.”

Mentoring future talent

Despite the lack of female role models during her career, Priya champions the recent emergence of Knight Frank’s mentoring programme. Recognising its importance, she is now a passionate advocate for providing visibility and access to successful women in the industry. She remarks, “I believe it’s going to help us have a more balanced gender representation and set a clearer pathway for progression. I really wish I’d had a mentor when I first started out.”

A vision for tomorrow’s leaders

Looking forward, Priya places a strong emphasis on the need to achieve more balanced representation across the entire organisation. While she praises the ongoing efforts within her own department to create a multicultural team, she stresses the need for a broader transformation. “That’s why our graduate scheme is particularly important to me,” she says. “Those people are the leaders of tomorrow. We’re not going be around forever, and it’s important to pay it forward.”