_James Scott: “Creating a safe and open environment is the most important thing for people.”
A quiet first step
James first came out to his immediate family at 16 and, together, they decided to keep it private for a while — concerned about how it might affect his experience at school.
Two years later, just before heading to Loughborough University, he came out to his close friends. “I decided to come out just before I went to uni. I thought it could be a new start and I could just go on from there,” he says. To his relief, their response was warm. “You fear the worst in those situations and build it up in your head.”
But the combined challenge of moving away and coming out took its toll. After a few weeks, James left university and returned home. “Interestingly, I wanted to be closer to my family at a time that was quite difficult,” he recalls.
Finding his path
Back home, James began working for a small business on both marketing and property development. Time working on sites sparked a new interest, and he eventually restarted university — this time in Birmingham, studying Business Management.
After graduating, he secured an internship with Knight Frank’s Lettings team and was soon offered a place on the graduate scheme.
Coming out again — and again
James didn’t come out to his extended family until he was 22. He’d been unsure how older relatives, especially his grandparents, would react.
“I felt upset that they didn’t know,” he says. But when he finally shared his truth, their support came easily. “Everyone was really supportive… People genuinely wanted to check on my welfare.”
Some concerns surfaced — mainly about whether James could still have a family. It was something James had also wrestled with. “I even considered not coming out for that reason,” he says. “But now you see same-sex families and people having children, these stories and examples are really powerful.”
At work, James felt safer. “It certainly felt safer doing it here. Knowing there’s the corporate bubble around you, there’s ways that the business wants its staff to behave… I didn’t feel any fear in doing it.”
Yet during his graduate scheme, he rotated through five teams and had to come out multiple times. “I did feel the need to prove myself at work first,” he admits. “That’s my own unconscious bias… Would people think I was here to fill a quota?”
Typically, James waited a few weeks in each new team before sharing his story with a trusted colleague, allowing them to share it more broadly if they felt comfortable. It was a gradual process, but one that worked for him. Now, embedded in his team and respected in his market, James feels the difference.
Supporting others
James encourages managers and colleagues to make space for openness — without pressure. “Give people an opportunity to be as open as they want to be,” he says. A simple question like “Have you got a partner?” invites conversation without assumption. “If someone wants to talk, you’ll sense it. If not, respect that.”
Creating a safe and open environment, he says, is “the most important thing for people.”
Building belonging across generations
James found connection in Knight Out, Knight Frank’s LGBTQ+ employee network. “It gave me a sense of belonging,” he says. The group now plays a key role in events like Pride in Property, which brings together over 800 people from across the industry.
He’s also seen change across generations. “I do have sympathy when people expect the older generation to pick things up straight away. What you want them to do is try.”
James values learning — both in himself and others. He recalls a video of footballer Graeme Souness at Brighton Pride that left a lasting impression. “His eyes were opened and his views changed that day.” Watch the video here.
For James, inclusion isn’t just about policies — it’s about people. Being open, being willing to listen, and creating space for others to feel seen.