Chestertons, one of London’s largest and oldest estate agents, is welcoming a new CEO this morning, as John Ennis starts his first day at the company.

He joins Chestertons from London estate agency Foxtons, where he was managing director, central London and new homes.

Ennis joined Foxtons in 1999 as a sales negotiator, and attained his current position at the firm in 2019. He managed 14 central London offices and 14 new homes and investment departments.

Chestertons has significantly strengthened its senior team in recent months, with Mark Goodeve-Docker appointed as head of residential developments in July, and Iain Bailey as director of property management in June, both formerly of Foxtons.

Richard Davies, who was until yesterday Chestertons’ interim MD and former head of lettings has become chief operating officer following Ennis formally commencing his role.

Chestertons reported a record performance in 2021 with total revenues rising 28% year on year. The business says it has maintained its momentum and continued to deliver strong growth in the first six months of the year with revenues ahead of last year. This has been driven by the Company’s Lettings division which posted a 22% uplift in revenue compared to H1 2021.

Chestertons was established in 1805 and bought in 2005 by the current owner, Mercantile Group, led by businessman Salah Mussa. The Company has grown steadily since then and is now one of the largest residential agencies in London and has a network of offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Ennis commented: “I have long admired the Chestertons brand and have been impressed by the business’s ability to adapt to the market and come out ahead of its less agile competitors, so it would be an understatement to say that I’m excited to be leading it into the next chapter of its history.”

“Our clients are facing challenges from all directions but Chestertons has invested in its people, technology and systems to ensure that they continue to get the most experienced and knowledgeable advisors, backed up by data-led intel, to help them make the right decisions when it comes to their property plans.