New property management area director at Spicerhaart  

Spicerhaart has annouced another internal promotion with the appointment of a new property management area director.  

Katie Richards, formerly property management manager, based at Howards in Great Yarmouth, has taken on the new position where she will be responsible for the entire Anglia region and ensuring services remain compliant. 

Richards said: “I grew up in Cardiff and didn’t know which direction I wanted my career to go in. I ended up conducting work experience for various businesses and industries and spent a while working as a Housing Officer for the YMCA.  

“This is where I became interested in property, and matching people with suitable housing. It became a problem solving and solution mindset that was constantly moving and progressing due to the different and complex situations I dealt with daily.  

“I would say my main strength is being able to speak to people, and converse with them on various levels to ensure clarity and positive outcomes from transactions.  

“I feel internal progression is important and I am someone who thrives on new challenges and personal growth, and so this is the type of opportunity is perfect for me.” 

Richards’ appointment is part of Spicerhaart’s lettings expansion programme where a new operations team is being established. 

This is part of a wider restructure which includes giving property management equal weighting to Residential Lettings, as well as bringing in additional home-working Partners, who are focused on building long-lasting relationships with landlords and tenants.  

Richards added: “From my five years’ experience at Spicerhaart so far, I know we have an exceptional team who are customer service obsessed and focused on compliance and organisation.  

“The people in my Anglia team are my priority, as they will be the primary building block of book growth which is our ultimate aim and ambition as a business.” 

Residential Lettings MD, Satwant Basi, added: “Katie has an exceptional record when it comes to her people and performance delivery. 

“We have an excellent record of successful promotions in her region, and I am sure she will continue this trend.” 

Five promotions at Dacre, Son & Hartley 

Dacre, Son & Hartley in Yorkshire has made five promotions across its residential, agricultural and customer service divisions this month, as well as a director level promotion in its specialist commercial division, Dacres Commercial.

Laura Nicholas and Zoe Harrison have both been promoted to associate, Anita Rydings is now a senior sales negotiator, Will Shakeshaft-Gee has become a sales negotiator and Ed Pawley has been made a director of Dacres Commercial.

Pawley joined Dacres Commercial in 2021 as a senior associate. He now carries out valuations, rent reviews and lease renewals, as well as advising on investment transactions, spanning all types of healthcare property including GP surgeries, medical centres and pharmacies. He covers an extensive area spanning Yorkshire and into the North West, Midlands and down the M1 corridor.

Nichols joined Dacres in 2015 as a customer services representative and is also a qualified mortgage advisor, which further enhances her understanding of the property market. In 2022 she was promoted to head of Dacres’ customer services centre, leading the team and working with clients at all stages of their property journey. She also provides internal training across the firm’s 20 residential offices, located throughout North and West Yorkshire, on best practice requirements and software systems.

Chartered surveyor Harrison has worked as a land agent in Dacres’ agricultural division since 2019. Zoe, who is a RICS member and registered valuer, handles the sale, valuation and management of agricultural and sporting property throughout the North of England. Based in the firm’s Harrogate office, Zoe works across a wide portfolio of clients from single farms to some of the finest country estates in the region.

Rydings joined Dacres’ Knaresborough office in 2018 and has a proven track record in sales and strong focus on high standards of customer service. She is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents and has almost 20 years’ experience working in the property sector, after starting her career in commercial property in Leeds, before becoming property manager at The Harewood Estate and then moving into residential sales.

Shakeshaft-Gee joined Dacres’ Burley-in-Wharfedale office in 2022 as a sales assistant and after developing in the role for the last 18 months he’s enjoyed numerous sales successes throughout Burley and the surrounding area, as well as being a hit with clients.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacres, said: “Ed, Anita, Laura, Zoe and William are all integral members of our team, with their own specialisms, who work across different divisions and areas within the business. They’re all very hardworking and go above and beyond to deliver the best results for our clients, and therefore they thoroughly deserve their promotions.”

David Ogilvie, who heads up Dacres Commercial, added: “Ed’s promotion is recognition of his strong performance since joining Dacres Commercial and the key role he has played in helping to drive forward the expansion of our highly regarded healthcare department.”

BBC Bargain Hunt’s Antiques Expert joins estate agency’s art auction team

BBC TV antiques expert, Nick Hall, has joined Henry Adams’ Fine art auctions division in Chichester as a director.

Hall, who has appeared regularly as an expert on Bargain Hunt for more than 10 years and filmed with Flog It! for nearly 20 years, joined the estate agency’s art auction arm last week.

“I’ve been involved in auctions all my working life,” said Nick Hall, director of Henry Adams Auctioneers. “I began as a porter at a Worthing auction house, holding up the items that were going under the hammer. I had a thirst for knowledge about each piece. I love the way that such objects capture people in different ways – their history, rarity, value, or simply that people may just like the way something looks or the way it makes them feel.”

His flair for auctioneering brought him to the attention of BBC’s Flog It! in 2005 when he was asked to be a guest host. This led to regular appearances and, later, to him joining the panel of experts for Bargain Hunt.

“There’s great camaraderie with the BBC TV team, both onscreen and with the camera, lighting, and sound crews,” said Hall. “They’re a really interesting bunch of people who I’ve got to know over the years. It’s almost like going to a big family get-together.”

He plans to continue filming Bargain Hunt alongside his new role at Henry Adams.

He added: “Henry Adams is a strong local brand with an excellent team. The Saleroom in Chichester is in a fabulous, historic building in the heart of the city. We have lots of plans, including the introduction of talks, events and specialist sales.”

Ian Wiggett, CEO of Henry Adams, added: “Our Saleroom has always been an integral part of the business since it was set up more than 30 years ago, so it’s great to have someone of Nick’s calibre leading our first-class team to drive it forward. We have every confidence it will be an even greater success.”

Comings & Goings