In anticipation of a tenant led property recovery in 2012, GBR Phoenix Beard has strengthened its office agency team with the recruitment of Angus Huntley as a surveyor. Angus joins from Stoford Developments where he undertook a postgraduate placement role and he will work alongside John Griffiths, Ben Thacker and Richard Fletcher-Brewer.
John Griffiths who heads the Agency team is upbeat about the year ahead: “Angus’ appointment gives a clear signal of our intent to remain in the top spot as leading office agents in Birmingham. Tough market conditions call for creative property solutions – we have consistently demonstrated our flair for completing deals and delivering solutions which work for clients and occupiers. In these challenging times, we feel that continued investment in the strength and depth of our team is an absolute pre-requisite for sustained success. Having worked with Stoford Developments, Angus comes with a good understanding of the property market from a development standpoint. ”
Angus was awarded a first class honours degree in the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) accredited Business and Property course from the University of the West of England. Angus said: “What really appeals about joining GBR Phoenix Beard is the opportunity to have a hands-on role and the ability I will have to make a real difference. The agency’s reputation in the Midlands property market is first class, and I have been impressed by the entrepreneurial business culture within the team.”
GBR Phoenix Beard is predicting strong demand for prime office space over the coming 12 months. The team bucked letting trends in 2011, topping the Birmingham office agency league tables (Source: Estates Gazette Birmingham Office Agency league tables 2011) for letting the most space in the 12 months to 30 September 2011, transacted within the highest number of deals. This equated to disposals of 236,648 sq ft accounted for by 36 deals.
The Agency was involved in a number of flagship office deals in 2011 including The Solicitors Regulation Authority and The Law Society (57,000 sq ft space at The Cube), 30,000 sq ft of office space at Norfolk House to Network Rail, and 25,000 sq ft at Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA) to Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust. January 2012 got off to an equally strong start with the news that GBR Phoenix Beard’s Office Agency team had been successful in a three-way tender to act for Aviva’s Life Fund at its Great Charles Street Estate.