Property Jobs Today - the movers, shakers and people in the news

There have been plenty of new jobs being started outside of Wesminster this month.

Here are some of the latest moves that took place during October.

If you want your jobs or appointments news to feature here, email press@estateagenttoday.co.uk.

Knight Frank: Prime agent Knight Frank has opened a residential office in Yorkshire, covering all areas of the North Yorkshire Dales to the North Yorkshire Moors.

It will be led by newly appointed head of sales Melissa Lines, who brings with her over 26 years of experience in residential and new build properties.

As well as working closely with the head of rural consultancy, James Farrell, and rural senior surveyor Hanna Renwick, the team will also collaborate with Edward Welton, from Knight Frank’s country department who handles some of the area’s most prestigious properties. 

Based in the heart of Yorkshire, Melissa and the team will be offering the full suite of services provided by all Knight Frank branches. 

She said: “I am delighted to have joined Knight Frank, a brand I have admired for some time. I look forward to growing our presence across Yorkshire and building on our superb reputation. Delivering a first-class service to our clients and showing what a fantastic county Yorkshire is to live and work.” 

Meanwhile, the property firm has also appointed residential real estate specialist Christian Swaab as a partner in its residential development and investment team. 
Based in the Exeter office, Swaab will sit within Knight Frank’s South West New Homes team and will head up new homes sales across Devon and Cornwall.

He brings almost 20 years of residential real estate experience to the role and joins from Savills, where has held the position of director and head of country sales in Cheltenham for the past eight years.

Prior to his role at Savills, Swaab held other senior positions at Jackson-Stops & Staff and Seven Capital. 

Chestertons: London estate agency Chestertons has appointed Sebastian Verity as its new head of research.

With 20 years’ experience working for some of the largest estate agencies including Foxtons, Knight Frank and Savills, Sebastian has an in-depth knowledge of London’s housing market.

Using a wide array of data sources, Sebastian is an expert at explaining emerging trends and producing accurate forecasts of how they might affect the market.

Holding a master’s degree in Property Valuation and Law, Sebastian started his career at Foxtons before joining Knight Frank, where he eventually became the agency’s very first dedicated Residential Research Consultant.

Sebastian said: “Backed by some fantastic technology, Chestertons has established itself as a key source of data for London’s property market by providing regular market updates and forecasts. I’m looking forward to building on this success and developing Chestertons’ research side further so that we can continue to provide useful insight to clients, staff and the wider industry.”

Richard Davies, managing director of Chestertons, added: “Now more than ever, landlords and homeowners need their agents to provide them with good advice and information on which they can base their decisions.

“Thankfully, Chestertons has built a system that gives us real-time data, which can be analysed to form an accurate picture of what is happening at any moment and also used to anticipate what we should expect in the short and medium term. Sebastian is a master of using this sort of data and our staff and clients will see the benefits of this appointment very quickly.”

Auction House: James Pank has been appointed director of Auction House Manchester at Ryder & Dutton, after former owner and director, Ian Hill, retired from the business in August.
Auctioneer James has headed up Auction House West Yorkshire at Manning Stainton since 2012, and will now take on directorship of the entire Auction Houses under Northern Estate Agencies Group, which includes Ryder & Dutton. 

He will head up a merged team of 10 people working across the Yorkshire and Greater Manchester regions, responsible for delivering the wider group’s auctions sales strategy. 

James said: “I’m proud to be taking on Ryder & Dutton’s incredibly successful Auction House Manchester, working with an expanded team to grow this side of the business even further. 

“Having worked in auctions for over 10 years, I’ve achieved some of the highest success rates in the country for our auction properties, with sale prices consistently exceeding the quoted guide prices and deals going through often within four weeks or less.

“Greater Manchester and Lancashire are huge patches with matching opportunity for business, so I’m looking forward to getting out there. The range of properties we deal with is enormous - churches, blocks of flats, stables, toilet blocks and disused water tanks have all been sold in our auction rooms.”

Mark Manning, managing director of the Northern Estate Agencies Group, added: “James’ appointment brings our Auction House operations together across both sides of the Pennines. 

“Given his huge success in developing the West Yorkshire territory over the past decade, we know he’s the right person to take on the expanded Director of Auction House role across the entire company.”    

Following the successful acquisition of Ryder & Dutton and Mortimers by Manning Stainton in 2021, Northern Estate Agencies Group was formed. 

It is one of the largest independently owned estate agency groups in the North of England, with a 40+ branch network covering Leeds, Manchester and other hotspots across West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Derbyshire.

Russell Simpson: London estate agent Russell Simpson has appointed the experienced Daisy Hill as sales negotiator within the Chelsea Core department. 

Starting her career at Aylesford International in the 1990s, Daisy has enjoyed a coveted career, with previous roles including leading the sales and marketing for various Southwest London developers, before joining Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward in 2014, where she operated in Brook Green, Chiswick and Battersea.

Daisy joins Russell Simpson’s Chelsea Core department, which is now headed up by Charlie Duffell, following Leo Russell’s move to work alongside his brother Jake Russell in the London Prime department.

The Chelsea Core department team comprises Charlie and Daisy, as well as long-standing members of the team Henry Heaton and Daisy Amberg.

Commenting on her new role, Daisy said: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Russell Simpson. We have crossed paths numerous times during my career, and it has always been a business and team of people that I have admired. I am excited to get started and believe I can bring a lot to the role.”

Duffell added: “Daisy will be an excellent addition to the team here at Russell Simpson and brings with her a wealth of market knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable to the business. She will provide fantastic support for me in my new role, which will be to deliver the best service and results for our clients.”

Strutt & Parker: Strutt & Parker has appointed Lindsay Johnn as the head of its Winchester office. In her new role, Lindsay will be working alongside director Patrick Glynn-Jones and the established regional team.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, Lindsay is joining Strutt & Parker following 15 years with Savills Winchester, bringing with her exceptional local knowledge. 

Before Savills, Lindsay also held roles at Knight Frank and Colliers International, in the latter building a broad expertise in auctions and research, as well as residential sales.

As Head of Office, Lindsay will be leading the team with a focus on driving Strutt & Parker’s presence in Winchester’s city centre market. 
Lindsay said: “Having grown up in Winchester and following my return to Hampshire almost 20 years ago, I have developed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the city, surrounding villages and the fantastic communities that make up this wonderful corner of the country. 

“I’m excited to be working with my new colleagues – all of whom are just as passionate as I am about prioritising client support and delivering beyond expectations.”