Knight Frank wins Large Property Agency of the Year at the Property Awards 2024

Posted by Knight Frank Newcastle on 28th July 2024 -

We’re pleased to announce that Knight Frank has won Large Property Agency of the Year (+100 Employees) at the Property Awards 2024. This award celebrates our achievements, culture, and strategic vision for the future.

This incredible achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire partnership. In a year marked by global challenges, our resilience, innovative strategies, and steadfast dedication to our clients have set us apart. We are especially proud that the judges recognised our efforts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as truly dedicated and impactful.

Our commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace

Our dedication to diversity and inclusion is illustrated by two significant hires in 2023. Hannah Awonuga joined us from Barclays as Partner and Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion, bringing her extensive experience in driving performance and introducing best practices. Karen Bowes, our Chief People Officer and Proprietary Partner, joined with a wealth of knowledge from the legal and financial services sectors, and she is leading our people strategy with a focus on inclusivity.

We were pleased to host Diverse Voices, a forum focusing on diversity in property, held by Property Week. During this discussion, Stephen Clifton, Head of Commercial, highlighted the importance of data as a key feature of how we’re building a more diverse culture and working environment. “You can see the difference we are making, and you can measure that.”

Hannah Awonuga built on this point, adding, “The way you can be clear about your direction is knowing what the data is.” We’re looking forward to many more DEI milestones and continuing to impact the industry positively.

Championing ESG initiatives

In 2023, we launched Our ESG Ambition, a comprehensive programme to restore the natural environment, create an inclusive workplace, and strengthen communities. We are committed to making Knight Frank a net-zero organisation, and we have made significant strides by electrifying our vehicle fleet and implementing new software to manage and analyse our ESG data.

Among our initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace, we introduced a Cultural Leave Swap, allowing team members to exchange public holidays for days of cultural significance to them. We also support the Henley Business School Pathways to Property Programme, which aims to widen access to the real estate industry. We have initiated a partnership with Ark Schools to inspire young people to pursue careers in property.

A year of remarkable commercial real estate achievements

We believe that a powerful partnership between culture and strategy drives success. Despite the hurdles of 2023, our unique private partnership model has enabled us to focus intensely on client needs and unlock value across our platform. This approach has significantly increased our market share, particularly in private wealth advisory and transactions, where we have excelled.

Key deals and market impact

Our Central London leasing team has secured some of the year's most significant deals, showcasing our expertise and market influence. Notable transactions include the 171,000 sq ft pre-let to law firm Kirkland & Ellis at 40 Leadenhall and our appointment to lease JP Morgan’s 800,000 sq ft One Spitalfields. Additionally, our team achieved a 99% let rate within 5 months of practical completion at Landsec’s 164,000 sq ft in N2 Victoria.

In the retail sector, our shopping centres investment team has been instrumental in revitalising interest. They advised on 2 landmark deals: the £143 million sale of Brighton’s Churchill Centre to Ikea’s Ingka Centres and the £58 million sale of The Mall Luton by Capital & Regional.

Our dominance in the retail parks arena is also noteworthy, having transacted (and under offer) over £210m so far this year. We recently acquired Tandem Centre, Colliers Wood, for £60m. Other key deals include B&Q, Milton Keynes, Springvale Retail Park, Orpington and, The Phoenix Centre, Corby.  

Long-term mandates and global reach

In 2023, we announced a world-leading alliance with Berkadia to lead capital markets in the international living sectors. This collaboration enhances our global network, which now comprises over 22,750 people across 558 offices in 57 territories.

We also expanded our presence in the UK by opening an office in Cambridge, supporting the area’s growing life science ecosystem, and strengthening our UK-wide occupier advisory offer to provide integrated solutions to our clients.

Looking ahead

Winning the Large Property Agency of the Year award is a testament to our standards of excellence, resilience, and forward-thinking strategies. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our core values, continuously striving to innovate and lead in the real estate sector while maintaining our focus on clients, diversity, and sustainability. This award is not just a recognition of our past achievements but a motivation to continue pushing to set new standards in the industry