Behind the scenes at Octagon – Working From Home with Kate Geraghty

Kate says:

I used to work as a Sales Negotiator at Foxtons and following that at Savills in Cobham, where I learnt a lot about the luxury property market. Our office was selling an Octagon home which is how I came across the brand – I was in touch with their team, and then I did a tour of the house and I was hooked! I knew instantly that this was a brand and product I wanted to represent and be part of, and I joined the team as Marketing Assistant in 2012.  

My day-to-day… 

Is a bit of everything! I can be doing anything from brand development, social media, event organising, advertising schedules, creating brochures and planning budgets. I work closely with our external agencies, agents and property portals as well, bringing it all together ahead of launching a property and consistently updating and revising the campaigns throughout the sales period.   

The best part of my job.. 

Launching a new property is always exciting. So much goes into the process, right through from land buying and planning permission to practical completions and handovers – and then all the marketing, advertising and press and public launches begin! Because we do it all, you really follow a development’s journey – it’s always very personal for the whole team and I love that. You plan for months and months to execute, and when the launch arrives all the hard work pays off!  

My most memorable moment…  

We enter and attend many of the prominent industry awards - it’s hard to beat the feeling of hearing Octagon’s name announced and going on stage to collect on behalf of the team. We won Best Luxury Property at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards last year, and to be recognised in front of your industry peers is truly memorable. 

How I Work From Home 

Our study doubles up as my husband’s ‘man cave’ – he is a huge Oasis fan, so the walls are covered by band memorabilia, and while it’s not my choice of décor, it certainly brings some life and fun to the day. I also have to keep the door shut to stop my two cats coming in – they like to sit on the laptop, which isn’t particularly helpful! 

How my role has changed 

So much of many peoples’ jobs can now be done digitally, and I still have daily video conference calls with the team to catch up. A large part of my role is networking and events, which is of course for now on hold, so I keep in touch by phone, email and conference calls to maintain our relationships.  

What I have found more challenging 

I am most definitely a people person, and have missed the day to day interaction with colleagues – having a chat in the kitchen or saying hello as you walk past each other’s desks… I’m sure I’m not the only one!  

And what’s working better…. 

Some parts of my role - such as compiling annual marketing budgets - requires some peace and quiet. I can lock the door here and focus without being distracted which is a definite plus. It’s has also helped me dedicate a bit more time to brainstorming – so we’ll be more than ready for our next launch when we are able to hold events again.