Meet Jonathan Gray: President of Beauchamp Estates, Cannes, France

A seasoned and entrepreneurial event planner with a refined expertise for coordinating the accommodations of his foreign clients, Jonathan Gray was no stranger to Cannes' luxury housing market. His introduction to real estate came through orchestrating short-term rentals and holiday lettings for his clients. Demonstrating the discretion, care, and knowledge required to serve private clients, Gray's transition to high-end and luxury real estate was a natural fit. This is Jonathan Gray.

Chief Executive Officer of Beauchamp Estates in Cannes, Gray has been an enterprising individual from an early age. At 22, Gray started JG Events, which helped large international companies plan events and trade shows in the South of France. His expertise in the local market and his savvy allowed for maximum growth within his market and beyond.

"I was already involved in the event industry with my company JG events, organizing trade shows in Cannes and helping foreign companies coordinate their events; accommodation was a big issue and apartment rentals were an alternative to fully booked hotels," he says. Gray decided to start his own estate agency in 2005, joining forces with powerhouse London brokerage Beauchamp Estates in 2007.

Born and raised in the South of France, Gray knows the rhythm of the place. Outside of the high season months (May through September), his insider knowledge of the tradeshow and convention circuit allows for a venerable portfolio throughout the year. Of Cannes' non-summer months, he says "Cannes is a vibrant convention centre, busy 300 days a year, which means there is always an international trade show taking place from September to June enabling us to network with numerous international high net worth individuals. When the winter holidays arrive, it is then the perfect time to move up to Courchevel to meet all our clients or escape to St. Barth, for example, for a well-deserved retreat with your family."

From the age of 20 to 22, Gray assisted a real estate promoter in finding unique opportunities to invest in Southern France property. This position would whet his appetite for a future in real estate and property development. "I already knew at that time that I would eventually work in real estate again, as I enjoyed very much visiting amazing properties and seeing the potential of the resale once they would be entirely renovated," says Gray.

In 2007, Gray joined forces with Beauchamp Estates London, to become the exclusive Cannes branch of Beauchamp Estates. This, a turning point for Gray, has "allowed my young estate agency to gain a strong partner with over 30 years of experience and assure success to young Beauchamp Estates Cannes offices." In six years, Beauchamp Estates Cannes has multiplied its turnover fivefold.

Gray understands the importance of an online campaign, but still sees great value in personal relationships and social connections. He says, "We feel that our clients are perhaps just now ready to use the Internet to find a luxury home when they would usually only rely on personal recommendations or traditional advertising to choose the agency they will work with."

With a wife and child, this hard-working property maven also enjoys flying helicopters, boating, and drinking fine French wines. Some of his best memories are of spending time with family in some of the most beautiful places in the world.  When asked how his colleagues would describe him, Gray says, a "hard worker, always available, extremely reliable and unfortunately, I can sometimes be too impatient," and that persistence has paid off for Gray.

Leverage Global Partners and its affiliates are quite excited about working with Mr. Jonathan Gray and his team at Beauchamp Estates Cannes.

Header Photo Courtesy of Alice the Photo Ninja’s Flickr