Strutt & Parker is to open a new branch in central London – bucking the trend of other agents seeking to move to the outer edges of the capital.

The new office will be in south Kensington, opposite the sales room of auction house Christie’s.

In the UK, Strutt & Parker is Christie’s International Real Estate’s affiliate.

The new office, which opens on June 1, will be led by James Boulton-Lea, who moves from Strutt & Parker’s Chelsea office.

Last year, Strutt & Parker added five further new offices to their agency network following the acquisition of Roberts Newby in Buckinghamshire and Edwards & Elliot in Surrey and Berkshire.