Comings & Goings

Strutt & Parker brings Oxfordshire mainstay into its national country house department

Giles Lawton

Strutt & Parker has announced the appointment of Giles Lawton, senior director, into its national country house department to cover the wider Cotswolds area, moving from his previous role as head of its Oxford office.

Lawton brings with him over 35 years of experience of the Oxfordshire and wider Cotswolds market and joined Strutt & Parker in 2016 following eleven years at Savills.

Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s national country house department, said: “Giles’ estate agency career spans four decades, and his knowledge and experience of one of the most competitive markets in the UK gives our Cotswolds clients the comfort of knowing they are working with one of the best.

“With the current backdrop of market uncertainty, experienced agents come into their own having navigated complex markets in the past. Giles is a superb addition to the department, who the team has worked with closely over the years.”

The twelve strong national country house department handles the sales of prime homes outside London above £2,500,000, and works closely with the national estates and farms agency team, BNP Paribas real estate private client department, and Strutt & Parker’s network of regional offices across the UK.

Lawton added: “I’ve spent most of my life in the Chipping Norton area, and have witnessed the evolution of the Cotswolds market and beyond since the 1980s, often selling the same homes two, three, or even four times over the years. Joining the London based Country Department is a move I’m really pleased to be making, and I’m looking forward to developing the link between our local office network and our clients on the sale of some of this country’s finest homes.”

 

Savills Chelmsford appoints new head of office 

Alex Leigh

Savills has announced that residential development sales director Alex Leigh has been appointed as its new head of Office in Chelmsford.

Leigh takes over the reins from Stephen White, who has stepped down from the position after 10 years.

White will now be focusing purely on his role within residential sales while Leigh, who joined Savills Chelmsford at the start of 2020, will also continue his work leading the residential development sales team across Essex.

As head of office White oversaw the relocation of Savills Chelmsford to Parkview House in Victoria Road South and has supervised the expansion of the team – including the launch of  a new planning division at the start of last year.

Savills Chelmsford now comprises multiple service lines, including residential sales, residential development sales, rural consultancy, development, valuation and planning alongside office, industrial and retail agency and investment.

Leigh said: “It is a real privilege to take the next step and lead our exceptional team here in Chelmsford. Over the years the office has grown substantially, and, coupled with the transformation we have seen across Essex and the city of Chelmsford, it makes this a hugely exciting time to begin our next chapter.”

White added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to be an ambassador for our Chelmsford office over the past 10 years. The growth we’ve achieved in the last decade is a direct result of the great team we have in place and – having worked with Alex for the last two years – I know I leave the office in superb hands. I wish him a long and enjoyable tenure and I look forward to continuing my work within our residential team.”

 

Cheffins announces new head of new homes 

Sam Harding

Cheffins has announced Sam Harding as head of new homes, as the East Anglia-based firm looks to strengthen its offering for developers throughout the region.

This appointment will allow Cheffins to build on the success of its existing established residential development, planning and new homes sales network throughout East Anglia, and allow the firm to expand on its ability to service both existing and potential clients.

Sam Harding joins Cheffins from Countryside, where for the past eight years he has worked as an associate development director. Having joined Cheffins on 6 February, Harding will head up a revamped new homes department, working closely with the planning and development teams, offering developers an end-to-end service, including guidance on development potential, as well as buying and selling development sites and traditional sales of new homes. Harding takes over the role from Martin Walshe, Director, who will remain within with the Residential Sales department.

Harding said: “The opportunity to build and lead the new homes department, for such an already well-established business is quite an opportunity. Cheffins represents quality developments ranging from large multi-unit schemes, through to individual, high value one-off builds, working with a series of national housebuilders, as well as smaller boutique firms. The new homes market within the region is continuing to grow, while the pressure on housing delivery is gathering pace, so this is an exciting time for Cheffins to build on its already extensive presence within the sector.”

Richard Freshwater, head of residential sales at Cheffins, commented: “Sam, with his extensive experience within the sector, will ensure that Cheffins can give advice from the purchase of land right throughout the development lifecycle to the sales of the final product.”

 

Comings & Goings

 

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