Rapleys has hired a team of six retail agency and investment experts from Avison Young.
Dan Kent, who was formerly principal and managing director of UK retail at Avison Young, joins Rapleys as head of retail and an equity partner.
He is joined by partners Scott Mitchell and Rob Fraser, senior surveyor Ella Traynor and surveyor Rian Dunne. A further associate partner will join the team in the near future.
The team, which will be based in Rapleys’ London office, has extensive experience in out of town, high street and shopping centre retail and leisure.
Robert Clarke, senior partner at Rapleys, said: “Commercial is one of our core divisions, and we have been looking at ways to grow this part of the business, having already brought in Aston Rose and Mellersh & Harding. We are therefore delighted to bring in both an experienced and strategic retail head who is well known to the market to work with the existing senior teams in commercial, and a retail agency and investment team that will strengthen our retail services to clients, adding to our existing status as market leaders in food stores.
“We know that the team are looking forward to working with us and share our values and collaborative culture as it’s always important to get the right fit in order to continue to grow sustainably and make the most of such opportunities for the benefit of the business as a whole. We have strong ambitions, and we will continue grow strategically across all of our divisions via both acquisition and recruitment to provide clients with the best action-oriented and unique advice in both the traditional and alternative property sectors.”
Kent added: “Rapleys is one of the market leaders in the foodstore and roadside retail market with an impressive stable of existing clients and it has been looking to leverage its full-service expertise more fully across the wider retail sector. We are all delighted to bring a team of retail agency and investment experts to the business and we are excited about the opportunity to grow Rapleys market share in the retail sector with our combined experience, knowledge and capability.
“For me personally, I am also looking forward to taking on a new strategic role as head of retail where, like the wider business, we have further exciting and ambitious growth plans.”
