The conversational AI platform transforming customer engagement for real estate businesses – VerbaFlo – has appointed Suraiya Comunello as Fractional Chief Marketing Officer.
Suraiya brings over 12 years of experience in property marketing and brand strategy, with deep expertise in the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector. Throughout her career, she has worked with some of the industry’s most recognised operators and institutional owners, driving brand positioning, B2B and B2C marketing, and communications strategies at scale.
“VerbaFlo is doing something genuinely different in a sector I know well.
“The gap between what operators need to deliver and what existing tools can realistically support is one I have seen firsthand for more than a decade, and VerbaFlo is closing it in a way that is intelligent, practical, and built for how the industry actually works.
“I am excited to help bring that story to more operators and partners around the world.”
Suraiya Comunello, Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, VerbaFlo
Alongside her work with VerbaFlo, Suraiya continues to advise a select portfolio of businesses. Previously, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at European student accommodation platform Nido Living, where she joined in 2018 and helped build the brand into a globally recognised name.
Before Nido, she held senior marketing and brand leadership roles at Hines, Global Student Accommodation (GSA), and The Student Housing Company, where she played a central role in brand launches and international expansion across European markets.
“Suraiya is one of the most respected marketing leaders in the residential real estate sector.
“She has spent her career building brands that operators, investors, and residents genuinely connect with, and she understands the commercial and operational realities that sit behind effective marketing in this industry.
“As VerbaFlo grows its presence globally, her leadership will be critical in shaping how we tell our story and how we show up in the markets that matter most to us.”
Sayantan Biswas, Founder and CEO, VerbaFlo
A Chartered Institute of Marketing-qualified professional, Suraiya was named PBSA Woman of the Year in 2023. She also founded and chairs the Women in PBSA (WinPBSA) Committee – a sector-wide initiative focused on advancing equity, diversity and leadership opportunities across the industry.
