Local team complete agency buyout from global property giant
Louise Emmott has led a management buyout of the JLL Residential property agency in the north to form Kingsdene.
The business will be a new homes sales, residential lettings and management agency operating across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
She has worked at JLL for 20 years and been head of residential agency and development for the past five years, and is joined by co directors Oliver Dolan and Lynsey Smith and the 24 employees across the three offices.
Kingsdene will remain close to JLL, working as joint venture partners and sharing local, national and international resources to best meet the needs of their developer clients.
Louise Emmott said: “When the opportunity presented itself for Oliver, Lynsey and I to take over JLL’s residential operations in the North, we jumped at the chance. We know our market inside out and have great relationships with our clients across the region.
“Kingsdene will offer unrivalled local expertise in city centre sales, lettings and property management, and this coupled with our unique relationship with JLL’s UK and global capital markets team means we have an exciting offer to help our ambitious property developer clients access international funding and investment.
“We are thrilled to be in a position where we can take the business forward in what is undoubtedly a significant period for residential development with both the rental and new homes markets performing exceptionally well. Our independence and ability to be nimble and agile will be essential to our consumer facing operations in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.”
Kingsdene will continue to work with new homes clients which include Muse, Clarion, Grainger and Urban and Civic. While the consumer facing side of the business will take over the estate agency on Deansgate at the Great Northern Warehouse.
Stephen Hogg, managing director of JLL’s Manchester office said: “I have worked alongside Louise for 20 years and Oliver and Lynsey for 15 years and I think it’s fantastic how JLL can support this MBO and strategic partnership going forward. The focus is ensuring our client base receives the best service and this new hybrid model of global and local advisers gives us best in class advice. I look forward to working with the team for another 20 years!”
The name Kingsdene is derived from King Sturge, a nod to the 250 year old firm Louise originally joined in 2003, which was sold to JLL for circa £200 million in 2011. “Dene” is the original river which once flowed through Manchester which Deansgate is named after.
