“[Filipinos] continue to push, to fight, to be happy. I think it is the most important thing.” Photographed by Ewan MacAllan-Harvey, courtesy of Ari Reid
Currently head of acquisitions at the Oliver Bernard Private, “everybody’s favorite Chelsea girl” is the algorithm for the world’s most exclusive properties across the globe on Instagram.
“This is truly my dream job,” Ari Reid says, and it’s easy to see why. She is taking the internet by storm with her insightful reels on the property market, hopping between London neighborhoods like a real-life Monopoly board. With her signature Sloane Ranger style and captivating personality, she has won the hearts of over 462K Instagram followers, including fans like BJ Pascual and Jack Schlossberg.
Currently, Ari divides her time between high-end ski resorts in the French Alps and Switzerland, where she scouts and sells luxurious chalets and condos to the elite ‘Gstaad Guys’ of the world. Amid managing residential listings, she shares her local recommendations on her Instagram feed. Showcasing visits to the priciest McDonald’s in Zermatt, her mid-twenties après-ski hangout (Cocorico) in Val d’Isère, and effortlessly strolling around Princess Diana’s favorite ski resort, Oberlech, in chocolate Moon Boots.
Born in London, Ari spent her early childhood in Hong Kong, attending the ESF Peak School. She felt comfortable as a biracial child in this international hub until she and her sister Sarah moved to the UK at nine to attend boarding school. “There weren’t many other kids who were, you know, half Filipino,” she recalls. Ari is keenly aware of how others might perceive her, with her “jarring” RP accent and first-class education. Within certain circles, she might be seen as part of the establishment, but she represents “a different combination of the Rubik’s cube,” standing apart from her landed gentry and blue-blooded peers.
“I think for me, that upbringing being independent, perhaps a bit lonely growing up, not quite fitting in… helped me,” she reflects. Uncomfortability is a recurring theme in our conversation about navigating two cultures, especially in the “high-pressure cooker” of polite society. “It’s all so silly and superficial. It’s funny when you stop and think about it… it’s ridiculous.” During her adolescence, she immersed herself in sports and art, with comedy emerging as a coping mechanism. “I think the way I dealt with it was humor. I was always quite funny at school, making jokes; I’m humorous, just like my mum.”
After specializing in Spanish and French, Ari went on to study Chinese and the History of Art at the prestigious SOAS University in London. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she admits, recognizing she had a “creative skill set.” This led her to play a game of musical chairs across various industries: from management consulting at a tech start-up to working as a principal auditor at M&G Investments. Each role helped her realize, “This is not what I want to do,” and even led her to try her hand at acting in a BBC1 series. “I enjoyed being in front of the camera, which, again, ties in with what I’m doing now.”
In the early days, satirizing her own identity and niche became her blueprint. She included key figures in her life: her son Ludo, her perpetually miserable twin sister Theodora, and Araminta, a frenemy with whom she shares an unrelenting rivalry. “We’re always trying to outdo each other,” she laughs. Her playful approach even caught the attention of The Daily Mail, which published an article about her ‘luxury lifestyle’ tips, featuring her method for drawing the perfect English bath.
Ari ventured into real estate after taking a short interior design course at KLC School of Design. “I spoke it through with my dad, and I liked property, but I also enjoyed the business side of it,” she explains. “So, my dad suggested, ‘Why don’t you work as an agent?’” During the lockdown, she honed her skills under her godfather’s guidance and later joined a company with a prominent industry leader.
Timing proved to be everything. In 2021, Ari launched her platform just as a new wave of reality TV was emerging. What was once a behind-the-scenes profession has now become a star-making industry, with shows like Owning Manhattan, The Parisian Agency, and Million Dollar House dominating screens. US realtor Christine Quinn of Selling Sunset has become a household name, attending Paris Fashion Week and modeling for Balenciaga Couture.
“I never envisaged what it could be,” Ari reveals. “I wanted to create a big platform where I could innovate in the industry, look good doing it, and have fun.” Her reels, simple yet structured, follow the PEE/PEA formula (Point, Evidence, Explain/Analysis) to showcase premier properties and destinations to her growing audience. As the saying goes, there’s no show without punch, and Ari Reid is undoubtedly the star of hers.
With a natural ability to capture attention in mere seconds, a casual “Hi, darlings” paired with a killer outfit is all it takes. Her wardrobe epitomizes the West London aesthetic: headbands, tea dresses, and tweeds. Whether sporting a bikini at the Embassy Gardens Sky Pool or sleek leather pants in Knightsbridge, Ari’s fashion choices often set conversations ablaze, making some of her most viral videos a true reflection of her aptitude to spark discussion and keep people talking.
While British Tatler may have dubbed her “everybody’s favorite Chelsea girl” and one of the UK’s most eligible, Ari Reid, like any successful figure, has drawn her share of critics. As with any winning team, the more success you achieve, the more you attract negativity, and Ari is no exception to the harsh scrutiny from online trolls. She credits her resilience to her Filipino heritage. “Filipinos are cheerful, positive people, even in tough situations, and I’d like to think some of that has rubbed off on me… to be kind, happy, and most importantly, to be authentic,” especially in the “rigid and almost toxic environment” of social media.
She often channels these negative experiences into content, adopting a ‘hair flip a day keeps the haters watching’ mentality. Captions like “winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners,” and “when the people who ignored you at school can’t stop talking about you now” are frequent staples of her posts. “My mother always had a lot of self-respect, something she instilled in me, to stand up for myself, and never take **** from anyone.”
Ari may belong to the world of My Fair Lady elegance, but she certainly carries her mother’s spirit with her. Whether singing “Part of Your World” in parking lots or dancing at Royal Ascot, she embodies a sense of free-spirited joy. “She’s the loudest person in the room when she’s having fun, cracking jokes. There’s always laughter with her.” Like all Filipino mothers, Ari’s mom regularly sends “inspirational quotes” via Messenger and is always striving to create a better, easier life for her daughter to thrive in.
When planning content, Ari dedicates hours to prepping for each video: bullet-pointing ideas, memorizing her script, and collaborating with her videographer to set the scene. “I try to dress for the property,” she explains, pulling garments from her wardrobe and sometimes borrowing props like a tennis racket or construction hat to enhance the visual story. In the beginning, she’d rely on guerilla tactics, asking “random people on the street, or waiters and waitresses” to take a quick photo or video. “Do you mind taking a video for me?” was the common request.
“It’s a game of experimentation,” she says, dwelling on what makes effective social media marketing. “You have to create shocking content, something a little out there, funny, something people will want to watch.” For Ari, “No idea is ever a bad idea on social media.” The more she posts, the more she learns which ideas resonate, refining her approach to include the themes that generate the most engagement in future content.
What Ari cherishes most is the independence she’s cultivated over the years through her social media presence. “I’m so happy to do what I do every day. I created this role myself because I worked incredibly hard. I get to wear fabulous outfits, film in amazing properties, create content, and take ownership of my work… it’s not like I have a line manager. I am my own line manager.” She envisions her empire as a thriving fruit, full of potential to grow and expand globally, with aspirations of reaching the United States and, “hopefully, living in the Philippines someday.”
She pictures herself lounging on the pristine beaches of Siargao, catching waves in Palawan, and indulging in her favorite Filipino dishes. Her list includes chicken adobo, and she adds with a smile, “I love pork tocino… it’s pork cooked in Sprite, and when done right, it’s unbelievably delicious.” For dessert, nothing beats the sweet satisfaction of biko sticky rice cakes. Yet, what truly fulfills Ari is the positive impact she’s had on others. Whether helping people buy or sell homes or simply spreading joy through her reels, it’s the connections she’s built that matter most. “It’s amazing to meet people. I’m very independent and often do things on my own, but now, when I go out, people approach me and say, ‘Hey! You’re that girl. I know you!’”
