Property consultancy firm Rapleys has expanded its retail agency and investment presence by hiring a six-strong team from Avison Young.
Dan Kent, formerly principal and managing director of UK retail at Avison Young, will lead the retail team at Rapleys as the head of retail and an equity partner.
The ex-AY team includes partners Scott Mitchell and Rob Fraser, senior surveyor Ella Traynor and surveyor Rian Dunne, with an additional associate partner set to join soon. All members will be based at Rapleys’ London office.
The team advises prominent retail occupiers such as Sainsbury’s, Argos, Boots and Sue Ryder. It also works with investors, institutions, developers and high-net-worth clients, including LondonMetric, Aberdeen, AXA, KFIM, Quadrant Estates, Manchester Airport Group, University of Sheffield, Kilo Properties, Alterity Investments and Augur Group.
The move follows Rapleys’ opening a new Cardiff office in January, along with the appointment of senior hires Chris Cook, Dan Jones and Natalie Jordan.
Over the past two years, it has acquired five businesses – CSJ, Aston Rose, Mellersh & Harding, Blue Brick Consultancy and S106 Affordable Housing.
Kent said: “Rapleys is one of the market leaders in the foodstore and roadside retail market, with an impressive stable of existing clients and it has been looking to leverage its full-service expertise more fully across the wider retail sector. I am also looking forward to taking on a new strategic role as head of retail where, like the wider business, we have further exciting and ambitious growth plans.”
Robert Clarke, senior partner at Rapleys, said: “Commercial is one of our core divisions, and we have been looking at ways to grow this part of the business, having already brought in Aston Rose and Mellersh & Harding.
“We have strong ambitions, and we will continue grow strategically across all of our divisions via both acquisition and recruitment to provide clients with the best action-oriented and unique advice in the traditional and alternative sectors.”
Image from Rapleys
Send feedback to Shifali Gorka
