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The Power of Purpose: Why we call those we work with Creators, Custodians and Catalysts

In the real estate world, terminology shapes mindset—and mindset shapes outcomes.

At Aletheia, we believe the language we use to describe our roles in the built environment has a powerful influence on how we act, how we relate, and how we invest in the future of place. That’s why we choose to refer to those we work with not just by their job titles or commercial functions, but by the deeper roles they play in shaping, maintaining, and activating the value of property and place.

We use three words: Creators. Custodians. Catalysts. Each term carries weight, intent, and aspiration. Let us explain why.

Creators: The Vision Setters

Developers and Investors are traditionally seen as those who fund and build. But that language can flatten their true role. In our work, we see them as Creators—not just because they create physical spaces, but because they originate intent. They bring the spark of ambition, the alignment of capital and conviction, and they take the initial risk to make something new exist in the world.

Creators set the tone. They decide what kind of place a development will become; Who it will serve, what values it reflects, and how it might evolve. That’s a tremendous responsibility. Are they creating for today, or for tomorrow? Are they creating buildings, or creating meaning?

By calling them Creators, we invite them to think beyond profit margins. We work with them not just to deliver ROI, but to define the return on impact.

Custodians: The Stewards of Legacy

Once a place is created, someone must care for it. Asset managers, property managers, and local authorities are often tasked with ensuring a site operates efficiently and remains legally compliant. That definition is too narrow.

We call them Custodians because they are the stewards of continuity. They hold the space between the now and the next generation. They are the ones who can either maintain a building’s existence or actively nurture its growth, improvement, and relevance.

True custodianship means more than maintaining value; it means protecting purpose. It’s about balancing financial stewardship with social and environmental awareness. A building’s condition, a site’s energy profile, a place’s sense of safety or inclusion—these all rest in the hands of the Custodians.

At Aletheia, we support Custodians in turning static portfolios into dynamic ecosystems. Because when you look after a place with care and clarity, it doesn’t just survive. It thrives.

Catalysts: The Agents of Activation

No building, no space, no high street ever comes to life on its own. That spark comes from people. From the tenants, occupiers, residents, retailers, operators—those who inhabit and activate the space. We call these people Catalysts.

Why? Because they turn buildings into experiences, and places into communities.

They are the heartbeat of truly better places. Their decisions, values, feedback, and behaviours all shape how successful a property becomes. And yet, they are so often left out of the core conversation. We think that’s a mistake.

Catalysts are not just passive consumers of space; they are co-creators of value. A thriving workspace, a buzzing building, a beloved public park—these things aren’t valuable just because of their design, but because of how people use and respond to them.

When you listen to your Catalysts, you unlock the true potential of place. That’s why our work at Aletheia integrates stakeholder engagement, user experience design, and social value tracking at every stage.

A Systems-Based Approach to Real Estate

By using these three roles—Creators, Custodians, and Catalysts—we’re not just using different words. We’re applying a systems-thinking approach to real estate.

We believe that to create truly better places, you must go beyond the siloed functions of development, management, and tenancy. You have to work across boundaries, align intentions, and build feedback loops that evolve assets in real time.

We often sit in the middle—translating between the ambitions of Creators, the responsibilities of Custodians, and the lived realities of Catalysts. We help each role see the others more clearly. In doing so, we unlock clarity, collaboration, and lasting performance.

Language Creates Culture

Aletheia (αλήθεια) means truth. And one truth we hold close is this: the future of real estate depends on a shift in mindset. It requires us to stop thinking in transactions and start thinking in relationships. Between people and place. Between short-term and long-term. Between risk and value. Between creator and community.

Words matter. And by calling those we work with Creators, Custodians, and Catalysts, we’re planting seeds for a new culture—one that is more integrated, more meaningful, and more aligned with the world we all want to build.

Let’s create, care for, and activate truly better places. Together.

Aletheia Real Estate Ltd Privacy Policy

Our contact details

Name: Aletheia Real Estate Ltd

Address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ

E-mail: info@youraletheia.com

 

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)

 

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

• Request for further information
• Request for meeting
• Entering competition

We use the information that you have given us in order to provide you with a good service and get back in touch with you.

We may share this information within our team only.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting info@youraletheia.com

(b) We have a contractual obligation.

(c) We have a legal obligation.

(d) We have a vital interest.

(e) We need it to perform a public task.

(f) We have a legitimate interest.

 

How we store your personal information

Your information is securely stored.

We keep email addresses for as long as we are communicating with you. We will then dispose your information by deleting your email address from any database it is stored within.

 

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing – You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at info@youraletheia.com if you wish to make a request.

 

 

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at info@youraletheia.com.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:           
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

Contact Us

Contact us today to discover how engagement can improve your place’s unique relevance and competitive place advantage by emailing us on info@youraletheia.com

contact us

Disclaimer

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Aletheia Real Estate Ltd and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Aletheia Real Estate Ltd. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, Aletheia Real Estate Ltd takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

Cookie Policy

OUR WEBSITE, WWW.YOURALETHEIA.COM, USES COOKIES TO ENHANCE YOUR BROWSING EXPERIENCE.

 

What are cookies? 

A cookie is a small text file of data which a website may put on your computer or mobile device when you first visit a website or page. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. The cookie will help the website to remember your device the next time you visit that website. In this Cookie Policy we use the term “cookies” to refer to all files that collect information in this way.

 

What do cookies do? 

There are many actions cookies perform. For example, they can help us to remember your username, your preferences and analyse how well our website is performing.

Certain cookies contain personal information – for example, if you click to “remember me” when logging in, a cookie will store your username and member details. Most cookies won’t collect information that identifies you, and will instead collect more general information such as how users arrive at and use our websites, or a user’s general location.

 

Why does Aletheia use cookies on its website? 

Cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.

What cookies do we use on our website? 

We use the following cookies on our website:

  • Essential cookies. These are cookies that are essential to the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable us to identify our members and ensure they can only access the member only areas of our website. It is possible to disable these cookies but if you do so, you may not be able to access key areas of our website that are intended specifically for members.
  • Analytical or performance cookies. These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
  • Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you and your preferences when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language).
  • Targeting cookies. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website more relevant to you.

 

Can you block the cookies on our website? 

If you have previously browsed our website and no longer wish to accept cookies, please be aware that some cookies may have already been set. You may delete these cookies at any time via your browser by following the instructions here https://www.aboutcookies.org/how-to-control-cookies/ 

You can control cookies via your browser settings by following the instructions on the same website page. Please remember, if you choose to block cookies then your browsing experience may be affected and you may find certain areas of our website do not work properly.

 

More information about cookies 

For more information about how business use cookies go to www.allaboutcookies.org.

Discover how engagement can improve your place’s unique relevance and competitive place advantage.

Aletheia Real Estate Ltd Privacy Policy

Our contact details

Name: Aletheia Real Estate Ltd

Address: 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ

E-mail: info@youraletheia.com

 

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)

 

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

• Request for further information
• Request for meeting
• Entering competition

We use the information that you have given us in order to provide you with a good service and get back in touch with you.

We may share this information within our team only.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting info@youraletheia.com

(b) We have a contractual obligation.

(c) We have a legal obligation.

(d) We have a vital interest.

(e) We need it to perform a public task.

(f) We have a legitimate interest.

 

How we store your personal information

Your information is securely stored.

We keep email addresses for as long as we are communicating with you. We will then dispose your information by deleting your email address from any database it is stored within.

 

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing – You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at info@youraletheia.com if you wish to make a request.

 

 

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at info@youraletheia.com.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:           
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

Contact Us

Contact us today to discover how engagement can improve your place’s unique relevance and competitive place advantage by emailing us on info@youraletheia.com

contact us

Disclaimer

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Aletheia Real Estate Ltd and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Aletheia Real Estate Ltd. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, Aletheia Real Estate Ltd takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.

Cookie Policy

OUR WEBSITE, WWW.YOURALETHEIA.COM, USES COOKIES TO ENHANCE YOUR BROWSING EXPERIENCE.

 

What are cookies? 

A cookie is a small text file of data which a website may put on your computer or mobile device when you first visit a website or page. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. The cookie will help the website to remember your device the next time you visit that website. In this Cookie Policy we use the term “cookies” to refer to all files that collect information in this way.

 

What do cookies do? 

There are many actions cookies perform. For example, they can help us to remember your username, your preferences and analyse how well our website is performing.

Certain cookies contain personal information – for example, if you click to “remember me” when logging in, a cookie will store your username and member details. Most cookies won’t collect information that identifies you, and will instead collect more general information such as how users arrive at and use our websites, or a user’s general location.

 

Why does Aletheia use cookies on its website? 

Cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.

What cookies do we use on our website? 

We use the following cookies on our website:

  • Essential cookies. These are cookies that are essential to the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable us to identify our members and ensure they can only access the member only areas of our website. It is possible to disable these cookies but if you do so, you may not be able to access key areas of our website that are intended specifically for members.
  • Analytical or performance cookies. These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that users are finding what they are looking for easily.
  • Functionality cookies. These are used to recognise you and your preferences when you return to our website. This enables us to personalise our content for you and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language).
  • Targeting cookies. These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website more relevant to you.

 

Can you block the cookies on our website? 

If you have previously browsed our website and no longer wish to accept cookies, please be aware that some cookies may have already been set. You may delete these cookies at any time via your browser by following the instructions here https://www.aboutcookies.org/how-to-control-cookies/ 

You can control cookies via your browser settings by following the instructions on the same website page. Please remember, if you choose to block cookies then your browsing experience may be affected and you may find certain areas of our website do not work properly.

 

More information about cookies 

For more information about how business use cookies go to www.allaboutcookies.org.

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