Barnsdales hires Graham Chase
Barnsdales has hired Graham Chase, a fellow and former president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), to head up its London office.
Chase has joined Barnsdales as head of valuations to lead the valuation department, focussing on RICS “Red Book” secured lending valuations and setting up the company’s first ‘official’ office in the capital.
He is a past master of the Chartered Surveyors Livery Company as well as a visiting professor at Westminster University where he has lectured for some 40 years to a wide range of students and courses.
He was chairman of Chase & Partners LLP, having founded the company in 1995, until the business was transferred to Chase Sinclair Clark LLP (CSC LLP) in 2022. He continues to work for CSC LLP as a senior surveyor. As part of the arrangement, Barndales will trade from the CSC LLP office at Maiden Lane, Covent Garden.
Chase said: “I first met Jason Barnsdale [MD of Barnsdales] when he was with Warner Estates in the early 2000s and have always been impressed with his business acumen and approach to people.
“He is a tremendous individual who has always impressed me as a businessman and person, and he knows what I do in business. He is passionate about what he does and cares for his staff and clients, always putting them first, an approach I applaud. He has already achieved great things with Barnsdales, transforming it from a local residential-based agency practice to a national brand. I hope I can assist him in establishing more.
“I am delighted with this appointment as an employee in addition to my continuing employment with Chase Sinclair Clark as a senior surveyor. Although I ran Chase & Partners for a quarter of a century, and other businesses, including flotations on the London Stock Exchange, I decided I needed a change with a focus on my work as a surveyor, valuer, dispute resolver and expert witness. My roles at both Barnsdales and Chase allow me to achieve this new objective.
“At 70, I have no intention of retiring any time soon. My wife, Fiona, has MS [multiple sclerosis] and is wheelchair-bound and speech is difficult but otherwise is well, so I wanted to do something that uses my expertise and abilities, but also allows me to look after her and remain positive at all times. Taking her with me on property inspections is a great joy.
”I have learnt to trust my gut, and when circumstances change, outcomes must also change. It’s an important rule of valuation and in the witness box as an expert – if the evidence changes, you must be prepared to reconsider your opinion. I learned a lot from running a business over so many years, which I can apply to my work in supporting Barnsdales, and consequently feel very comfortable with where I am now”.
“Jason has always wanted a London office for Barnsdales to provide secured valuation lending work in the south east and, with the approval of both CSC LLP and Barnsdales, I was happy to do it.”
Barnsdales added: “Graham is one of the best-known surveyors in the UK property industry, and for good reason. He has a high profile thanks to his track record and achievements which have seen him win multiple awards and become an influential figure at the RICS.
“I’m delighted that he’s chosen to bring that wealth of knowledge and experience to Barnsdales to establish our first London office and provide a Red Book and secured lending valuation service to the south east.
“Recruiting Graham helps us towards our goal of growing the business across the UK, gaining new clients and providing an even better service to existing clients.”
Bywater Properties announces new head of living
Bywater Properties has announced the appointment of Harry Daws as its new head of Living, after the developer unveiled plans to move into the residential sector this year.
Daws brings with him almost 15 years of experience in real estate investment, most recently acting as investment director at Scape.
As Head of Living, Daws will help the company shape its residential investment strategy over the next year.
He said: “I look forward to helping Bywater expand into the residential market – bolstering its already stellar reputation in the delivery of
low-carbon projects.
“Bywater considers not only operational carbon, but the entire carbon footprint across a project’s lifecycle, something which very few others in the industry are doing right now. As their Head of Living, I see huge opportunity to create real, meaningful change in the sector’s push towards net-zero.”
Theo Michell, COO of Bywater Properties, said: “Our decision to appoint a new head of living marks a moment of evolution for Bywater, as we look to diversify our portfolio of sustainable assets across the UK. Harry brings a wealth of knowledge across both London and regional residential markets and will play a critical role in supporting Bywater’s expansion.”
Langham Estate promotes Malcom Pugh to CEO following £340m sale
The Langham Estate has promoted Malcolm Pugh as chief executive following the sale of its Lotus Portfolio in Fiztrovia, London, for a combined price of £340m.
Pugh was previously chief operating officer at Langham and joined the company in 2011 as financial controller, before taking on the position of finance director in 2012.
He takes over from Ahsan Ellahi, who departed in 2023 after 13 years in the chief executive position, following the launch of the Lotus Portfolio to market.
Oval Real Estate acquired the majority of the portfolio’s 27 retail and office buildings for £300m, while Concord paid £40m a residential asset within the portfolio.
Phil Hardie, chair at The Langham Estate, said: “Having worked closely with Malcolm for the past 12 years, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person to help take the estate forward in this next chapter of our evolution.
“We also send our thanks and gratitude to Ahsan for his steadfast leadership over the past 13 years. He has been integral to guiding the estate as we restructured our business and our London portfolio.”
