Nottinghamshire estate agency Gascoines has strengthened its team with the appointments of Jess Mitchell and Nick Lawton.

Jess joins as office manager of the Southwell branch and is responsible for the day to day running of the office and Nick has re-joined the team  as a new homes and land development consultant, after six years working on other projects.

Gascoines has been operating for more than 65 years and has offices in Southwell and Ravenshead.

Nick said: “Having previously worked at Gascoines for a number of years, before leaving in 2014 to set up my own company dealing in antiques, the opportunity to return was too good to pass.

“Gascoines is a real family firm and the team has made me feel incredibly welcome – almost like I never left!”

Jess said: “ I’m really enjoying heading up the Southwell office. The team are fantastic, and everyone has pulled together during these challenging times to achieve some great results.

Emma Gascoine, chief executive at Gascoines, added: “We are delighted to welcome Jess and Nick to the team as they both bring a wealth of experience and knowledge with them.

“This is an interesting time for the residential property market – we’ve had a great few weeks as lockdown has lifted, with sales agreed up 130% compared to this time last year.”

South coast agency, Sawyer & Co has expanded its team with the appointment of Simon Lemcke as Sales Director.

Simon started his career at Fox & Sons where he became the youngest Office Manager and then Area Director, overseeing eight offices across the South East.

In 2002, he started a new venture and co-founded Goldin Lemcke in Hove.

After 13 years at Goldin Lemcke, the Brighton-born agent became a Branch Partner at Brand Vaughan.

As Sales Director at Sawyer & Co, Simon will be working alongside directors, Chris Sawyer and Adam Farrell, to accelerate their growth plans for the business.

Chris Sawyer said:

“I am delighted that Simon, who is one of the best-known estate agents in Brighton and Hove, has joined Sawyer & Co.

“It is a fantastic time for the housing market, and we already see the impact Simon will make on the business.”

The company was recently recognised by the ESTAS across nine categories, including two gold awards, one silver and three bronze, and plans to open a fourth branch later this summer.