Georgina Atkinson’s office is the world. As one of the managing partners of Origin Private Office, a newly private office for ultra-prime real estate worldwide, she spends 80 per cent of her time each year travelling from her home in Dubai to key global markets. This includes Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, South Korea, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, and more.
Origin prides itself in having a team with expertise in acquisitions, sales, management and marketing, as well as an unprecedented global network. Specialists in off-market transactions, Origin also advises multi-generational families, family offices, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and celebrities on wealth management and investments.
As a distinguished expert in global new development and luxury homes, Atkinson brings more than 15 years of experience in international sales, marketing and development advisory to the table. Previously, she served as Partner & Head of U.S Developments for the world’s largest property network where she oversaw global sales of trophy developments.
“At Origin Private Office, we truly go beyond the conventional agency offering, which is something our clients value. We are incredibly focused on people and building long-term relationships with our clients. We’re very dedicated to understanding our clients’ aspirations and their tastes, and we offer bespoke solutions to strive to exceed those expectations.”
“Some of the ultra-prime properties we represent include 111 West 57th Street, also known as Steinway Tower, which is, for me, one of the most beautiful residential buildings in Manhattan; it has also been dubbed ‘The World’s Skinniest Skyscraper’. We are also working on Dolce & Gabbana’s first foray into residential real estate, 888 Brickell, which will be completed in 2027 in Miami. All of the stunning interiors in the skyscraper have been custom-designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.”
“Juggling very different requirements across various markets is challenging but, on the flip side, it is also very rewarding. Our business invests heavily in understanding these through comprehensive research and we establish strong local partners. Origin’s highly talented and experienced team are not only experts in real estate, but they also possess solid intercultural communication skills. In North Asia, we have a multilingual local team on the ground who are listening to market trends to ensure we deliver our services at the highest standard possible.”
“We try to understand our clients’ desires and preferences deeply, and we work very closely with them daily to align with their long-term aspirations, which aren’t just limited to real estate. We have many clients in Asia who are sending their children to study on the East Coast of the US and the UK. Besides finding properties, we also connect them to local partners, whether it is education advice, tutoring, housekeeping services and more. We have even set up a division, Origin Concierge, to manage these requirements that we recognise are an added value for our clients.”
“Real estate has always been known as a male-dominated environment. I started my career in London on a construction site. At the time, seeing a female come in with a hard hat on was unheard of. That said, I think females of the current age are making a huge difference in business, which is incredible. According to statistics from Harvard Business School, females are making 80 per cent of the financial decisions today in their families. They’re becoming much more educated and securing incredible executive leadership positions in businesses around the world. I think females are the biggest emerging economy, which is an incredible shift.”
“My late grandmother was someone who had a huge influence on my life. From a very early age, she instilled values in me such as integrity, attitude for hard work, and perseverance, which has been foundational in both my personal and, of course, professional lives. She was extremely resilient and had a positive can-do attitude, which I strive to instil in everything I do. This is something I hope that I’m delivering and passing on to my team, because we have some great females in our team whom I’m also mentoring.”
“For those who are also hoping to start out in the real estate industry, I would advise them to invest time in educating themselves about the industry as well as understanding and learning market trends. I’m a big believer in continuous learning by reading, so that you can become a superstar in your field and you will be consistently adding value to your clients with your advice. Focus on building trust and maintaining relationships to set you apart from others. We’re all about serving our clients and being their trusted advisors for multiple generations. One of our partners, Ross Savas, may have taken care of a grandfather’s needs, and now we’re looking after the son and grandson’s needs.”
Illustrations by Dawum Jeong
