Estate Agencies

Claire Reynolds, has “parted ways” with UK Sotheby’s International Realty after 18 months in charge of the rapidly-expanding brokerage. Reynolds was Co-Head of Prime Central London Residential at Savills before joining UK SIR in late 2023, taking a top-table role as UK Managing Partner in the midst of a dramatic and ongoing expansion drive. COO Alex Isidro, Dubai Managing Partner Chris Whitehead, and Chairman George Azar are in charge until a permanent successor is appointed. Read more

UK Sotheby’s International Realty has opened a high-profile new outpost on Kensington Church Street. The “flagship” office will primarily serve Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park and Bayswater. Read more

UKSIR has also ramped up its international capabilities with a new hire from Savills. Wai Kit Chan – a specialist in the super-prime real estate markets of Asia Pacific, Europe, and the UK – has joined the high-end brokerage as Senior Sales Director. Read more

Savills has expanded its super-prime lettings business beyond London, setting up a team to handle high-value rentals across the country. At the same time, the firm has recruited well-known super-prime specialist Stevie Walmesley to run the luxury rentals division in North London. Walmesley has moved from DDRE Global to helm Savills’ super-prime lettings operation in and around St John’s Wood, Hampstead and Primrose Hill, as a Director. Read more

Knight Frank has created a new role alongside its specialist international ultra-high-net-worth division, the Private Office, to help super-rich clients invest across borders and real estate sectors, including super-prime residential and commercial property. Company stalwart Sarah May-Brown has been appointed Head of Global Private Capital, to lead a new “Private Capital strategy”. Read more

Connells Group has acquired five-branch SW London agency Aspire, adding it to its upper-end John D Wood & Co stable of brands. Aspire will continue to trade under its own name. Read more

Cluttons has confirmed its longstanding CEO James Gray is to retire at the end of August. Gray, who has been with the firm for 35 years and in the top role for the last nine, has handed over the reins to John Gravett. Read more

PCL estate agency Russell Simpson has entered into new partnership with New York real estate firm Leslie Garfield. The tie-up, described as a “new chapter” for both businesses, will see the respective teams sharing market knowledge and cross-promoting “exceptional” listings through each other’s channels. Read more

Long-standing Royal Borough firm tlc Estate Agents has re-branded, launched a new “flagship” office in South Kensington. and re-opened its original home near Earl’s Court after an “extensive refurbishment. Samantha Hossack is Chief Operating Officer. Read more

The London Broker has signed two new faces to its self-employed network: Super-prime new-build specialist and former Lodha UK Director Philippa Bromley-Martin joins in London; Jez Moore in the South of France, based in Cannes. Read more

Fulham-based prime property brokerage Jefferies London has recruited former Knight Franker John White as Head of Sales. White spent over ten years at KF, the last five as a partner based in the flagship Mayfair office. Read more

London estate agency brand Douglas & Gordon has added three more independent partners to its books. Hannah Kavanagh-Manners joins as partner in Balham, having spent the last decade with Winkworth in SW London. Mark Bainbridge is taking the D&G brand into Dulwich for the first time. Matilda Fenttiman joins as Partner in D&G’s old heartland, Fulham. She’s also moved from Winkworth, where she was a sales neg. Read more

Sam Mitchell has joined acquisitive estate agency group Lomond in the newly-created role of Chief Commercial Officer. Mitchell’s previous roles include Head of Property Management at Foxtons, and Head of Lettings at Rightmove. More recently, he was CEO of Strike – overseeing the acquisition and integration of online agent Purplebricks in 2023. Read more

This followed another London agency acquisition by Lomond; the group has picked up Central London lettings agency Draker, which was founded by former Foxtons operations director Tim Hassell in 2010. Hassell says he is embarking on a “new chapter” in Sweden. Read more

Property brokerage Harding Green has added Clem Byron Evans to its self-employed ranks. The new partner spent the last 20 years at Savills, then as a Director at Maskells. Read more

New-build sales specialist Radhika Bedford – formerly Head of Sales for Berkeley Group’s St George division in North London – has also signed to Harding Green, as a Partner in SW London. Read more

Keller Williams has signed a new Area Partner in North London, attracting former Knight Franker Michael Antonio to its business model. Before setting up his own agency last month (called MA-RE), Antonio worked for Knight Frank, Savills and Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward. Read more

Sophie Norris has joined freelance property agency Moveli in West Essex. She spent the last 15 years working with Foxtons, Savills and Hamptons. Read more

North London-focused estate agency Martyn Gerrard has acquired Carlton Estate Agents in Islington. The acquisition was brokered by Julie Drake at Adam J Walker & Associates. Read more

Estate agency franchise Fine & Country has elected a new Chairperson for its National Advisory Council, which provides advice to members across the UK network and guidance to the brand’s management. Ben Madden is Director at Fine & Country Chiswick; he replaces Graham Wilson of Fine & Country Northern Lincolnshire. Read more

Buying Agencies

Property Vision has added a new outpost in Jersey to its global network. Charlie Woods from Island Search has come on board as Associate in the Channel Islands. He previously spent over 20 years working in Prime Central London’s property market, at firms including W.A.Ellis, Russell Simpson and Harding Green. Read more

Mayfair-based property & wealth management consultancy Lanesborough Advisory has named Henry Browne as Partner and Co-Owner. Browne has been with the firm – which was set up by Nicholas Shaw in 2023 – for the last year. Read more

Design

Super-prime design studio Lawson Robb (part of Allect International Design Group) has made a trio of new hires: Dovile Suarez as Studio Manager & Senior Designer; Mathew Fitz-James as Interior Architect; and Polly Rutland as FF&E Designer. George Wolstenholme is Creative Lead & Director. Read more

Luxury design house Oliver Burns Studio has brought in Kelly Cinnamond Santos to drive a “strategic expansion” into the global hospitality and branded residences sector. Santos, who was previously Head of Design at Morpheus & Co, has joined the London-based firm as Senior Associate. Read more