Women building the future – Celebrating female leadership in property

Women building the future – Celebrating female leadership in property

Introduction

Property is not what it used to be. The sector has started to reflect the world it claims to serve diverse, layered, and driven by people with different backgrounds. In today’s property sector, impact is not just measured by major transformations or glossy interior portfolios. It’s measured in decisions made, communities shaped, and the quality of lived spaces. And increasingly, that influence is also being led by women who are not waiting to be invited in, they’re building the doors themselves. Among them are Kiran Chauhan, Regeneration Project Manager at the London Borough of Brent, and Rina Patel, founder of Vastu Interior Design Ltd. These women didn’t win for popularity, they won for precision, vision, and sheer professional discipline. Their work says more than any campaign ever could.

Redefining leadership in a changing industry

There was a time when planning meetings or design presentations featured very few women in lead roles. That time isn’t ancient history, it was a decade ago. Today, there are clear examples where women are steering major projects, balancing technical knowledge with long-term social insight. They’re not just meeting targets. They’re rewriting how development gets done, especially in city boroughs and premium housing where market expectations can stifle creativity.

The need for inclusive thinking in regeneration, architecture, and interior design isn’t theoretical. It shows up in planning approvals, design satisfaction, community response, and resale value. Leaders like Kiran Chauhan and Rina Patel make these outcomes visible. If you know someone like them or you think you have the courage like them. Now is your chance. Nominate now and be part of a night of recognition.

Kiran Chauhan – Strategic planning with purpose
Planner of the Year, Kiran Chauhan, brought more than 23 years of experience in urban regeneration, strategic planning, and development management to her role at Brent Civic Centre. Her work on the Staples Corner Masterplan and Design Code SPD has reshaped expectations around what a modern regeneration framework looks like. The masterplan is not decorative, it’s functional. Over 2,200 homes. Mixed-use schemes. Industrial intensification. A carefully coded blueprint that balances business growth with community value.

It wasn’t a solo act either. Kiran worked alongside the Canal & River Trust, GLA, National Highways, TfL, and neighbouring boroughs like LB Barnet. She brought them together. Not with vague meetings, but with outcomes. Her background in councils like Southwark, Camden, and

Stratford-upon-Avon shows a consistent thread: the ability to navigate policy and politics while still delivering on the ground. She doesn’t talk about placemaking. She does it.

Had this masterplan been left to another set of hands, there’s no guarantee it would have carried the same balance of ambition and feasibility. Kiran made sure the framework wasn’t just about today’s approvals but tomorrow’s transitions, to net zero, to better infrastructure, to a community with identity.

Rina Patel – Crafting spaces with soul
Interior Designer of the Year, Rina Patel, doesn’t just create interiors to impress. She creates home, for real people. With real lives. Her practice, Vastu Interior Design Ltd, now in its 25th year, stands apart from the high-gloss industry noise. Her projects, often large-scale new builds averaging 9,000 sq ft, go far beyond surface appeal. Her Chelsea project, constructed for a high-profile investor and valued at £15 million, sold for £22 million but that’s not the part she focuses on. What matters is how her clients live inside those spaces. Rina’s touch blends her BA(Hons) in Interior Architecture with the intuitive skill developed from growing up in her family’s heating and plumbing business. This wasn’t a side interest. It was part of her DNA.

Her early life above Patel Central Heating, with engineers and tradespeople passing through daily, gave her something few designers have, practical site literacy. She doesn’t guess. She understands structure, sequencing, trades. Her designs work not just on mood boards but on build sites. Clients describe her as a collaborator. Suppliers call her consistent. Her team sees her as a leader who brings creativity without ego.

If you ask her what matters most, it’s the process. The journey of building a home. For Rina, that’s where the real craft lies. And it’s exactly why she now finds herself on major PR rosters, with media features and peer recognition reinforcing what her clients have long known: she builds spaces that stand up to time.

Legacy, mentorship, and market influence

Leadership doesn’t end when the trophy is handed over. For both Kiran and Rina, the real influence has been in what came after. In planning terms, Kiran is helping set precedents for how boroughs approach multi-use development frameworks. In design, Rina is indirectly mentoring young professionals through the standards she’s set.

Recognition changes how stakeholders see women in property. Developers listen more. Clients trust earlier. Media outlets engage deeper. And for the next generation of women entering the sector, this matters more than most people realise. When leadership looks familiar, ambition feels possible.

Why celebrating women matters

Industry recognition is often dismissed as just branding. But awards like the EEPA do more than showcase achievement. They legitimise leadership in environments where it can still be overlooked. The property world is a complex space, contracts, capital, consultation. In this space, being seen as capable can often open more doors than talent alone.

Spotlighting women isn’t a diversity initiative. It’s an industry necessity. The complexity of today’s property challenges demands a broader range of experience and perspective. Leaders like Kiran and Rina show what happens when that’s taken seriously.

Conclusion

If you’re part of the property world as a developer, planner, investor, or architect, it’s time to shift focus. Look around your teams. Think about the women pushing work forward, quietly or otherwise. Nominate them. Offer platforms that help them be seen for the work they’re already doing.

The future of the sector won’t come from legacy thinking. It’ll come from recognising leadership when it’s happening, and making sure it doesn’t go unseen.

Let me know if you’d like a version tailored for social or press adaptation, or if you’d like to include additional winners in this feature.