“We have a solid foundation. We met at university and have been friends ever since. The foundation is friendship and we’ve built the business on top of that.”
- Nicky
Leah and Nicky took different paths to university. Design has always been a passion of Leah’s and after finishing high school, she enrolled on an interdisciplinary design course at Edinburgh Napier University. The programme, which changed its name to Design Futures in Leah and Nicky’s second year, prided itself on being multi-disciplinary, covering everything from design to architecture and business.
“The course presented a forward-thinking approach to design. It encouraged discussion and critical writing about a variety of issues concerning design including collaborative and environmental practices, material and economic sustainability and corporate social responsibility which allowed us to challenge boundaries and concepts. It provided a strong footing for us to do what we do now, and we use this critical thinking in our business today.”
- Leah
Nicky’s journey to Edinburgh Napier took a different route. At 16 years old, she left school and went straight into the world of work. Edinburgh has a large financial services industry and Nicky took up an entry-level position at Scottish Life, ultimately staying with the company for 12 years and moving up the career ladder. She then moved to London to progress her career; however, the opportunity arose to move to Thailand to work at a property company and Nicky took it.
Having always regretted not going to university and having an interest in architecture, Nicky returned to Edinburgh and enrolled on the interior architecture course in 2001. The first year of this course was taught in combination with other programmes and this is where Nicky and Leah met. Nicky and Leah instantly clicked, and a two-decade-long friendship blossomed. As well as being classmates, they both owned flats close to each other which meant a lot of socialising went on!
Enjoying the critical thinking and design modules in first year, Nicky wanted to study this more in depth and transferred to the Design Futures course in second year. Leah and Nicky became full-time classmates which meant even more socialising was to happen! Having come to university as a mature student, Nicky decided to graduate at the end of third year and return to the workforce while Leah carried on and completed all four years.
“Our degrees play a role in our business today. The design side of things was essential when creating, developing and implementing our brand. But it’s also beneficial being able to walk into a property and have spatial awareness. I always look at a floor plan before I look at pictures of a property. We’re able to articulate to clients the potential of a property and to explain that it’s not always about the now, rather, it’s about what it can become.”
- Nicky
After graduating with distinction from Edinburgh Napier in 2004, Nicky returned to financial services. She primarily worked in customer-facing roles and gained a wealth of knowledge in sales and customer experience. In 2008, an opportunity came up for Nicky’s family to move overseas and they relocated to Abu Dhabi. Nicky took on a management consultancy role at a hospital which involved developing systems and processes to enhance patient experience. Seven years later Nicky returned to Edinburgh and initially re-joined the financial sector before moving into property.
Leah graduated in 2005 with a BDes (Hons) in Design Futures. She was quickly offered a job as an Account Manager for an award-winning Edinburgh design firm. She held this role for four years and worked with clients in the real estate sector, financial services and retail. The next 10 years were spent climbing the career ladder in London, with Leah ultimately becoming an Account Director where she was responsible for a selection of blue chip companies. As a senior member of staff Leah was afforded the opportunity of regular travel which opened up her international career options.
“I moved to Bodrum in Turkey, where I worked for the luxury hotel brand Mandarin Oriental and set up the quality department. This encompassed my background of strategic branding & marketing, implementation of quality standards and client service. Bodrum is a special place, so I decided to stay there for six years. I then took on the role as the International Business Director for The Bodrum Cup which gave me the platform to introduce the topic of environmental sustainability amongst a variety of initiatives. This is the Mediterranean’s largest sailing regatta now entering its 35th consecutive year and one which I’m proud to still be involved with”.
- Leah
After returning to Edinburgh in 2015, an industry contact offered Nicky a new career challenge: establish a new luxury arm of an existing estate agent business. As Nicky began selling properties in Edinburgh, she repeatedly got calls from clients asking for proactive support in sourcing properties. This sparked an idea.
“I’d receive enquiries from people asking if I had a property, in a specific area, within a certain price range and so I thought, ‘why not just do this myself?'. However, to be a completely independent advisor, offering guidance about the market as a whole, and needing the trust of other agents, I couldn’t be an estate agent, I couldn’t also sell properties. There is a huge amount of work, time and relevant experience needed to do this effectively. I had to concentrate fully on sourcing them for other people.
- Nicky
This was when 29Twelve was founded. Throughout their globetrotting careers and the highs and the lows of life, Leah and Nicky remained close friends. As Nicky began this new venture, there was only one person that she wanted to embark on this journey with.
“I knew that Leah was the perfect match. With her background and knowledge and experience, I didn't want anybody else”.
- Nicky
“Running your own business takes a serious amount of drive and determination which also comes with a huge sense of fulfilment when you find the right property for a client.
We have clients from all over the world including America, Bangkok and the Middle East – some who are relocating back to Scotland and looking for their forever home and others who are looking for a flat for their children at university.
As there are two of us, we can cover a large geographical spread whilst maintaining a highly personalised service.”
- Leah
Through 29Twelve, Leah and Nicky fulfil their clients’ property needs – whether that is finding a family their forever home or helping an investor expand their property portfolio. They work in partnership with their clients to establish a brief and use their wide network of contacts to realise it.
“We’re based in Edinburgh and know the city like the back of our hands. The knowledge we have of the city, whether it’s the universities, schools, locations, transport links, culture or heritage, is essential to our business as our clients often rely on us to provide this level of personalised service.”
“Relationship building is vital in this industry as our business is built on referrals. These not only come from our clients, but from the industry professionals we work with. Trust and quality are at the heart of what we do.”
- Leah
Leah and Nicky have also taken advantage of the support available to Edinburgh Napier alumni at the University and connected with Bright Red Triangle (BRT).
“I was scrolling through Instagram and came across BRT’s account. Their feed was really inspirational. I reached out and a couple of weeks later I met with Nick Fannin, Head of Enterprise. It was great to discover all the things that they’ve got going on."
"I’m now a member and it’s wonderful to have access to other like-minded individuals and advisers with whom you can share learnings and ask for feedback.” - Leah
What advice would Leah and Nicky give to someone wishing to start their own business?
“Don’t take feedback personally. I remember when we first launched our website. We spent days and days and days perfecting it and then asked for feedback from our networks. It was brutal, absolutely brutal, but it was spot on. I advise anyone starting their own business to develop a thick skin. Don’t take what people say to heart.”
- Nicky
“Understand your customer. For many businesses every client is unique in what they’re looking for and therefore the requirement to understand their needs is fundamental for a successful outcome.
“If you have an idea or a desire to start your own business then go for it! Start small and take it step-by-step, learn from the mistakes but don’t let these hold you back as it’s an exciting journey.”
– Leah
Learn more about 29Twelve by visiting the following pages: