JLL expands affordable housing team across the North
JLL’s affordable housing business has launched a dedicated team for the North of England following a string of high-level hires.
The move sees the expansion of a new specialist team at the global property consultancy, offering an enhanced regional offering to the affordable housing sector across Yorkshire, the North East and the North West.
The new affordable housing team is led by Richard Houghton, who has joined JLL as a director from Cushman & Wakefield, where he was a partner with 16 years’ experience in valuation and advisory work.
Houghton is joined by associates, Simon Taylor, also from Cushman & Wakefield, and Charles Smith, who joins from Fabrica by A2Dominion, with the team dividing their time between Newcastle and JLL’s Leeds office, taking the firm’s headcount in the region up to over 90 people.
Two more hires from Cushman & Wakefield, Oliver Potts, associate, and Gemma Sedgley, surveying executive, are based in JLL’s Manchester office.
The hires take JLL’s UK affordable housing team to 70 people and further enhance its specialist services in loan security valuation, transaction support and bond issuance, along with development advice, and supporting housing associations to value land acquisitions and sites.
Jeff Pearey, JLL’s regional head for Yorkshire and the North East, said: “The importance of the role that quality, affordable housing will play in tackling the housing crisis cannot be understated, and we’re looking forward to leveraging this increased regional footprint to support the efforts of businesses across Yorkshire and the North East that are looking achieve this.”
“We’ve always worked to develop, attract and retain the industry’s top talent, and the appointment of Richard and his team to head up our affordable team’s northern operation reflects this further.”
Houghton added: “We are delighted to become part of JLL’s affordable team, which has such a strong reputation in the sector. We want to grow and develop the business in the region, and being part of a big, national team like this gives us the platform to do so. We’re really looking forward to continuing our work in the sector with the resources, brand and support we need.”
