Heidi Barnes, Founder of BARNES International, Most Influential WomenLeaders of 2021 Profile

Heidi Barnes
Founder of BARNES International


Heidi Barnes, Founder of BARNES International, Most Influential WomenLeaders of 2021

“Redefining the Luxury Real Estate Arena”

Twenty-five years ago, in London and Paris, Heidi Barnes had the intuition of creating a company with a global reach, driven by the mission to support an expatriate clientele wishing to relocate. Any other company had not developed this concept at the time. With a highly motivating return on investment, she took BARNES International to new heights. Nothing would have been possible without Heidi’s vision, passion, and sensitivity to the French Art de Vivre that she has constantly been promoting internationally. The steadfast leader is raising BARNES as a significant player in the luxury real estate business. Her innate sense of communication and human touch has been critical to bringing together a team of experts that participate in the ongoing expansion of the company present today in over 20 countries.

“BARNES gathers more than 1000 collaborators, all experts and committed, located across 20 countries and 90 offices. BARNES is present in the most sophisticated properties at the most beautiful addresses and in the most sought-after international cities in the world. A true family business, BARNES provides to its collaborators strong and essential values, such as excellence, respect and unique know-how.”

The epitome of an elegant woman and a mother of 4, Heidi Barnes has always paid a lot of attention to women’s empowerment in the business area and her relationships. “A woman should pay attention to detail and be feminine at all times. Femininity enhances a woman’s strength,” says Heidi, who has a true sense of the word “team,” and her joie de vivre carries such a powerful message. A true leader knows how to delegate and remain humble while guiding and motivating even at a distance. Thanks to her ongoing determination, she has created a brand that is today a leader in the high-end real estate sector. She has always expressed a certain humility and gratitude that the company carries her name in what used to be very much of a man’s world. Heidi is the guardian figure of BARNES, the icon who personifies all the company's values.

From its inception, BARNES addressed the more personalized client service issues that the big city markets desperately needed. Heidi’s previous experiences encouraged her to focus on what was lacking in the sector, improving and inventing a new way forward. Carrying out a real estate project is often the project of a lifetime and requests a comprehensive understanding of the needs, the advice of experts, and long-term support. Heidi and her husband’s conviction was that making a difference in the real estate field would be possible with a better way to accompany the clients in all of their lifestyle needs in the long run/all their life.

BARNES celebrates the French Art de Vivre everywhere in the world. Like those of Heidi and Thibault de Saint Vincent’s family, their roots are British and French, but the values of the company are universal: Global, Vision, Excellence, Elegance, Trust. Faithful to these values, BARNES works to promote the French Art de Vivre in the 60 destinations where the company is present.

BARNES has consistently pursued a winning strategy based on internationalization and diversification. Internationalization to accompany its clients in all their projects, in France and abroad, in all the markets favored by their clients. “This is why we are now present in more than 60 destinations and can satisfy our clients' projects everywhere. Diversification as a celebration of the French Art of Living: we can accompany our clients in all their passions, beyond their real estate needs,” she explains. “This explains why we are now present in the fields of arts management, yacht sales and chartering, investments in wine estates and private aviation. Our ambition is to become a top player in luxury services pertaining to the art of living.”

The company is currently working on a new generation website that will be an interactive platform allowing their clients to get in touch instantly with a consultant via video conference. The idea is to reinforce the personal support of their clients through the website as they do when a customer pushes the doors of their offices around the world. “We are also working on a new CRM approach in order to better target the needs of our clients on the basis of a greater granularity in the knowledge of their expectations. A one-to-one Client approach is key. Our road map is structured around this strategic objective,” adds Heidi. IEWL


Company

BARNES International

Management

Heidi Barnes
Founder of BARNES International

Description

BARNES benefits from a network of more than 90 offices in major international cities and the most beautiful resorts. Our sustained development is based on a unique business model in the real estate industry: a high-end, international and integrated real estate services company.


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