Knight Frank announces new senior partner and group chair
Knight Frank has announced that, following a formal election process, Rory Penn will succeed William Beardmore-Gray as the firm’s senior partner and group chair in April 2027.
Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has more than 20,000 people operating from over 600 offices across 50 markets.
Penn, who is currently Knight Frank’s head of London residential sales, chair of its global private office and a member of the UK board, will join the firm’s group executive board in April next year, beginning a year-long transition period ahead of taking up the role.
Knight Frank says this handover allows for thorough succession planning, and gives an opportunity for the senior partner elect to fully immerse themselves in the Partnership’s global business and strategic priorities.
Penn joined Knight Frank in 2018, after the firm acquired VanHan, the business he co-founded with Thomas van Straubenzee, and has since been instrumental in driving growth across the partnership’s global private office and London residential sales businesses. He spent a decade client-side, starting his career at Grosvenor, with subsequent positions at private equity real estate firms Rowan and Palmer Capital.
Penn has deep experience across commercial and residential real estate, both in the UK and internationally having worked with a wide spectrum of private capital, private equity and institutional clients over his career.
William Beardmore-Gray will retire from the partnership in March 2027 after 36 years with the firm.
Having joined Knight Frank in 1991, Beardmore-Gray has built a brilliant career advising clients in London and across the firm’s global network. After gaining extensive experience with investors, developers and occupiers in the London market, he was elected head of the occupier strategy and solutions global service line in 2013, and subsequently senior partner and group chair in 2022.
William Beardmore-Gray, senior partner and Group Chair at Knight Frank, said: “Rory is an exceptional successor to lead the partnership from 2027, and I look forward to seeing the firm continue to thrive under his stewardship. As well as a background in commercial property as an investor, he has, for many years, been one of London’s most respected residential advisors to major clients.
“As chair of our gloobal private office, he has strengthened our capabilities with UHNWs and family offices across prime commercial and residential markets worldwide. He is a driven, collaborative and strategic leader with an ambitious global mindset.
“I will, of course, be sad to leave the Partnership in 2027, but will be staying active within the industry and look forward to exploring new opportunities. However, over the next 15 months, my focus remains firmly on delivering strong performance for our fantastic global partnership.”
Penn added: “I care passionately about our clients, our brand, and most importantly our phenomenal people. We are privileged to represent an extraordinary calibre of private and institutional clients, advising and transacting on the most remarkable real estate in the world, across all sectors.
“I look forward to working closely with Will over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition. Under Will’s leadership the firm has undergone significant development, strengthening our global partnership and deepening long-term client relationships. I am excited to build on this momentum with colleagues across our network.”
Michael Day joins Homing In as a Strategic Adviser
Well-respected property industry figure, Michael Day of Integra Property Services, who will celebrate 50 years working in the sector at the end of December, has become a strategic adviser to property marketing app Homing In.
Using geo-location technology, Homing In reveals properties for sale or rent to consumers without the need for them to enter complex search criteria.
Michael Day said: “I have chosen to get involved as, whilst there is a lot of exciting talk about the use of AI in property search, many enquiries, as agents will testify, come from the use of For Sale and To Let boards. Homing In effectively reproduces and expands on that effect, without the need to wade through a range of filters and other complexities.
“Ask yourself – how many times have you been in a location and thought, this is nice and would be of interest to me? Now users can click on the App and instantly access properties in that immediate vicinity for viewing. They are also taken directly to the agent’s website without a portal intercepting the potential enquiry and controlling the data flow.
“In my career I have been closely involved in a number of PropTech ventures including the creation of Rightmove in 2000 when I was a main board director at Connells and the development and ultimate sale of lettings platform Teclet, where I was a NED, to OnTheMarket in 2021.
With Homing In I see a significant opportunity to provide something different in the world of property listing and search. An easy-to-use app that provides a highly cost-effective platform for agents and their clients and customers.”
TPFG – directorate update
After informing The Property Franchise Group (TPFG) on 10 September 2025 of his intention to step down from the board, the company has now confirmed that Dean Fielding has left his position.
Fielding, who served as a non-executive director, had been involved in overseeing the group’s financial and strategic direction during a period of significant expansion for the business. His departure forms part of the board’s planned succession process, with TPFG stating that arrangements are already underway to identify an appropriate successor.