Knight Frank appoints new head of sales in Islington

Knight Frank has appointed Chelsea Whelan, a partner in the firm, as head of sales in its Islington office.

Chelsea, who joined Knight Frank’s Mayfair sales team in 2016 as sales negotiator, was, in 2019, tasked with the management of the core market business in Knight Frank’s well-established Notting Hill office.

Will Gregory, who has worked alongside Chelsea for several years will be stepping up to take over her role in Notting Hill.

In her new role, Chelsea will be responsible for running the sales department in Islington, driving the firm’s market share and managing the team of four negotiators. Chelsea takes over from Nick Moore, who is moving into a roaming role that will expand the firm’s reach in prime markets across North, City and East London.

Chelsea commented, “It has been so enjoyable working in Notting Hill, particularly in such a thriving post-pandemic market where there has been a strong sense of local community. My experience in such a fast-paced market makes vibrant Islington the perfect next step for my career. It is one of those neighbourhoods that has it all, lively restaurants and bars, and attractive residential areas with Georgian townhouses, garden squares, and quaint terraces, all of which are consistent drivers of demand.

“Having recently opened the doors to our new office location on Upper Street, the Islington team has had its best start to the year under Nick Moore’s leadership and with some recent key hires we have a dynamic and experienced sales team ready to hit the ground running. Transferring all my learnings from Notting Hill, my focus will be furthering Knight Frank’s market share in Islington and beyond.”

James Clarke, head of London sales at Knight Frank, said: “Chelsea’s appointment as department head represents an extremely exciting step for our recently relocated Islington office. Chelsea brings a wealth of property experience, and has provided exceptional customer experience and results in every market she has worked. We are committed to developing and promoting our best people to ensure they are able to have the most fulfilling careers possible, and I’m sure that Chelsea will continue her success in Islington.”

Rob Trotter returns as director of new business with DJ Alexander Ltd

Rob Trotter has returned to work as director of new business with DJ Alexander.

Trotter left the firm last year to run a food service and retail business and re-opened the Belhaven Smokehouse after it closed during the pandemic. But he has now decided to return to the property industry with DJ Alexander.

In 2016, Trotter was the first person outside the Alexander family to be given a director’s position in the company. He began as a lettings negotiator and rose to become senior lettings negotiator and then head of business development.

Trotter explained: “I left last year, on extremely amicable terms, to pursue an ambition of running a food business but found that, a year on, I was drawn back to the property sector. David had been in touch to say that he was keen to get the original team back together so when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance. I had worked with DJ Alexander for eighteen years and I missed the people, the atmosphere, and the challenges of working in the property market.”

“Stepping back from the property market has given me a different, and very helpful new perspective, both on the sector and on myself and my strengths. Now that the firm is part of the Lomond Group and is the largest lettings and estate agency in Scotland, I believe that the opportunities are greater and look forward to being part of the team which helps to develop and grow the business in the coming years.”

David Alexander, the chief executive officer of DJ Alexander Scotland, commented: “When Rob said that he was interested in returning I was delighted to welcome him back to the fold. Rob is a fantastic addition to our team, and we have tremendous ambitions to grow the firm and his experience and knowledge will help us achieve our aims.

“I have always thought that to achieve anything you must have the best people around you, and I believe that Rob’s appointment strengthens and builds on an already outstanding team. We have an enormous number of challenges ahead but with the best people, across all parts of the company, I believe that we can achieve great things in the future.”

Carter Jonas recruits Jason Capel to strengthen new homes presence 

Carter Jonas has strengthened its new homes presence with the appointment of Jason Capel, as head of new homes in the eastern region.

Capel joins Carter Jonas from Bidwells, where for the past 11 years he has been responsible for building the brand across the region, overseeing relationships with small to mid-size developers, and selling new homes and land.

Leveraging his experience, he is looking to further increase the number of new homes sites and units on the market with Carter Jonas, specifically in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, where the firm has high visibility residential offices.

He will also focus on maximising relationships across the company’s residential, commercial, planning and development, and rural teams, to ensure buyers, developers and landowners benefit from the range of experience and added value of Carter Jonas’ national network.

Capel said: “With so much demand for housing and a shortage of stock, particularly in key city locations, such as Cambridge, Bath, Oxford and York, there is a renewed appreciation for the new homes sector that wasn’t there 10-years-ago, when I started out. The whole process, from land viability to the marketing of a new development, is much more sophisticated and I’m excited to be able to have the Carter Jonas name behind me moving forward, to really maximise our efforts in the East and beyond.t Carter Jonas,

“With Carter Jonas having such a good reputation nationally, and with offices in London and key regional centres, my first focus will be to help drive business from central London to the East – starting with Cambridge – where the transport links are excellent, and the reputation of the city is at an all-time high.”