A property professional who has worked on projects ranging from small lettings to substantial land acquisitions has become the latest recruit to the expanding team at Garness Jones.
Simon Preston, who began his property career at a residential agency in Beverley in 2001, has been appointed Commercial Management Surveyor by the Hull-based firm and will play a key role in its progress and development.
Simon moved into commercial property in 2004 with Scotts Property, where he gained experience of retail agency and valuation work and then went into property management. He became chartered in 2008 and in 2012 joined NPS Group as an estate surveyor managing Hull City Council’s vast property portfolio.
At Garness Jones, Simon’s duties will include property management work and valuations covering industrial, retail and offices.
Simon said: “I decided early in my career that I wanted to gain valuable experience working in both the public and private sectors. Having achieved that I found I prefer the private sector, with its greater variety of properties and clients, and the challenges which come with that.
“As someone who has been in Hull for about 18 years now I have been aware of Garness Jones throughout my career and I recognise them as one of the market leaders in the region. I have also seen how the city has improved greatly in that time. The market in the city centre appears to have shifted, particularly in the retail sector. The range of properties has changed considerably, with a better balance of retail and leisure to draw people into the city centre.”
Dave Garness, Managing Director of Garness Jones, said: “The property landscape in the Hull and Humber region is changing all the time as a result of the influx of high value and high-profile investments, and our business is evolving along with that.
“Simon’s background of a rich variety of property experience in residential and commercial, public and private sectors is a very good fit with the work that we are doing and the partnerships that we are developing. He is an excellent addition to our team and we are delighted to have him on board as we plan our future expansion.”
