When you first meet Rohin Shah, you sense that he is someone who has crossed continents more often than many of us cross city limits. Over three decades in the business, Rohin has built a life negotiating skylines, boardrooms, and family trusts and always carrying an inner compass of simplicity and discipline.
Rohin is best known today as one of the co-founders and directors of ANAROCK, the India-based real estate services firm. But to call that his only identity would be to understate the journey. For Rohin also leads Marylebone Asset Management in London, advising a carefully chosen set of about 60 family offices, many of them spread across India, Kenya, and the UK. His role is as much about trust as it is about numbers, for these clients demand discretion, capital preservation, legacy alignment, and structures that can withstand scrutiny across jurisdictions.
His career began in 1986 at the venerable consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle. From there, he ventured into the Indian property market in 1992, when reforms were just beginning to reshape the landscape and foreign investment was feeling its way into the country. By 1994, Rohin had joined forces with Anuj Puri, beginning what would become one of the most enduring professional partnerships in Indian real estate.
The foundations of his career were laid earlier, at Reading University, where he graduated with a first-class degree in Land Management, followed by a Master’s in Property Investment from City University London. His academic grounding gave him both technical depth and strategic clarity. Recognition followed: in 2011, Rohin was appointed an eminent Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), an honour reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the profession. He also serves on the boards of several prominent UK investment firms and is a trustee of two well-known charities.
What sets Rohin apart is not the list of titles or appointments but the philosophy by which he lives and works. He often insists that passion is the foundation of everything. As he once wrote, “To be successful at what you do, you have to love what you do. Passion is the foundation of everything. When you are truly invested in your work, it doesn’t feel like work. It becomes a source of energy, creativity, and motivation, and that drive powers you through even the toughest challenges.”
Equally important, he has learned that simplicity is power. In an age dominated by apps and algorithms, Rohin still turns to a paper diary. “Crossing things off a to-do list is a feeling like no other,” he admits, “and that unmatched sense of accomplishment still motivates me to this day.” His ritual of writing tasks down, crossing them off, and shredding the paper may seem old-fashioned, but for him it is essential. “This keeps me agile, focused, and free from clutter – an analogue practice that fuels digital productivity.”
He applies the same principle to communication: maintaining a strict zero-inbox policy, ensuring that at the end of each day, there are no unread emails or WhatsApp messages. Everything is dealt with, filed, or flagged. For him, it is not just efficiency, it is discipline, and discipline has been the steady rhythm of his life.
Rohin also knows the value of stepping away. “Don’t worry about what you can’t control,” he often says. Years of navigating volatile markets have taught him the value of focusing only on what lies within reach. In moments of pressure, a short walk or a quiet coffee break can bring the clarity needed to move forward.
In today’s business culture where virtual meetings dominate, Rohin remains a believer in the power of face-to-face interactions. “Despite the convenience of virtual meetings, I firmly believe that nothing beats face-to-face interaction. The body language, the subtle cues, the immediate feedback, all of that forms a stronger connection than any Zoom call. Trust me on this one.”
That belief in personal connection extends to his leadership style. He does not believe in outsourcing responsibility. For him, leadership means visibility and presence. Whether it is making coffee for a client or mentoring a young colleague during a difficult negotiation, he insists that small acts of participation create the trust and respect on which any enterprise stands. “The best leaders are visible and engaged,” he writes. “They set an example and show up for their teams.”
Trust is a theme he returns to again and again. “Most of my business is done solely by handshake, no written contracts or formalities because trust has been built and is strong enough to stand on its own.”
Mentorship is another thread that runs through his journey. Early in his career, he benefitted from inspiring mentors who gave him confidence and encouragement. Today, he sees it as his responsibility to play that role for the next generation. “I will never pass up an opportunity to help those who need it,” he says, seeing it not as charity but as a professional duty.
Perhaps because of this philosophy, Rohin is selective about the people he surrounds himself with. “Surround yourself with people who lift you up,” he often tells younger colleagues. “It’s easy to be weighed down by negativity, but finding the right team, the right partners, and the right collaborators is critical.”
This clarity of vision has allowed him to build a career that bridges geographies seamlessly. With Marylebone Asset Management in London, he has cultivated a reputation for structuring cross-border deals that meet institutional standards of governance and transparency. The firm itself has deep roots, tracing back to the property business founded by his father, Sobhag Shah, in 1972. Through Marylebone, Rohin has created pathways for capital between Europe, India, and Africa, aligning investor priorities with real estate opportunities that are both sustainable and profitable.
In India, ANAROCK is his other great canvas. Founded in 2017 with Anuj Puri, it has grown into one of the most influential names in Indian real estate services, combining research-driven insights with technology-led execution. Today, ANAROCK employs more than 1,800 people across 14 offices in India and the Gulf. Last year, the firm secured a ?200-crore investment from 360 ONE Asset (formerly IIFL Asset Management), a move designed to strengthen its technological backbone and expand its services in sales and marketing. For Rohin, the investment is less about capital than about strategic alignment with a partner that shares the vision of transparency and professionalism in the industry.
His global footprint extends further. In Nairobi, Kenya, Rohin is closely involved with the World Trade Centre development, one of the largest mixed-use projects in the region. Spread over 32 acres, the project is a marker of his ability to translate international vision into local reality, marrying global standards with regional aspirations.
Despite the scale of these undertakings, what remains constant in Rohin’s narrative is a tone of restraint. He does not speak in grand metaphors or chase headlines. Instead, he lives by habits like writing down tasks, shredding paper, clearing inboxes—that might seem ordinary but form the scaffolding of an extraordinary career.
For Rohin Shah, success has never been only about numbers or titles. It is about principles lived daily, relationships built over decades, and passion carried through every deal. It is about keeping things simple, showing up when it matters, and trusting both the process and the people.
After more than 35 years as a chartered surveyor navigating the global property market, flying back and forth between London and Mumbai, and now shaping projects from Nairobi to Delhi, Rohin continues to do what he always has: quietly building bridges across markets and generations. The bridge he holds most dear, though, may be the one between the young professional who began in 1986 and the seasoned leader who, even today, still believes in the unmatched value of a handshake.
Wishing Rohin Shah a very happy birthday from the Realty+ family. May your vision, passion, and values continue to inspire and create remarkable real estate legacies across the world.
