Raft of new appointments and expansions as agencies flourish

The sales market may be troubled by a sharp stock shortage and the rental sector bogged down with a flurry of new reforms and regulations - but estate and letting agencies are making large numbers of new appointments all the same.

James Grillo - former head of the country house department at Humberts - has joined Henry Adams as a partner in it Haslemere office. As a third generation chartered surveyor operating in the region, he was born and brought up in the area with both his father and grandfather being prominent members of profession.   

In St Albans, Jamie Reynolds has become senior branch manager having previously worked at the city’s Druce agency. In addition the link between John Curtis – a two branch estate agency in Harpenden and Wheathampstead acquired in February 2015 by Hamptons International – will be significantly strengthened. 

Both John Curtis directors Ric Merlo and Ken Whittaker will assume new roles as the ties between St Albans, Wheathampstead and Harpenden are bolstered. Merlo will undertake operational responsibility for all three offices, while Whittaker will work closely alongside St Albans associate director, Nuala Easter in the Prime & Country House sector. 

Meanwhile JLL has appointed ex-Savills man Simon Scott to head up the firm’s Residential Investment team. He has most recently worked as chief development officer at a  serviced apartment investment platform backed by Oaktree Capital. 

In Cambridgeshire Hurfords - a subsidiary of Connells - has launched a dedicated Land & New Homes division from its office in Castor while in Hampshire Penyards has opened its ninth office in the market town of Fordingbridge on the border with Wiltshire.