Cluttons bolsters London Residential Agency with Knight Frank hire Laura Dam Villena

Real assets advisor Cluttons has hired Laura Dam Villena as Head of its London Residential Agency business.

Laura has more than 15 years’ experience in the prime London residential market and joins as a partner from Knight Frank where she led the Hyde Park office for four years after setting up and running their first office in Queen’s Park.

Throughout her career, Laura has worked closely with key London estates, other large portfolio landlords and investors.  While leading the strategic vision for Cluttons’ London residential estate agency branches in Chelsea, Hyde Park, Islington, Tower Bridge and Wapping, Laura will also work with the wider residential side of the business which ranges from valuations and consultancy to lettings and property management.

Chris Morris, recently promoted to Head of London Lettings, will be supporting Laura in her new role. Chris joined Cluttons as lettings manager in 2010, rapidly growing the Islington office before being appointed Head of the Tower Bridge office in 2017.

Laura takes over the reins from James Hyman, who is assuming the strategic role of strengthening and growing the business’ UK residential investment service line alongside Jo Leverett.

This new appointment follows a series of high-profile strategic hires across the company’s infrastructure, project management and valuation teams in London, Manchester and Newcastle.

Laura Dam Villena, Head of London Residential Agency at Cluttons, said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Cluttons and accelerating the growth of the residential agency business. The company has been a key driver of the UK property market for over two centuries; each part of the business, from residential valuations to property management, is  brimming with talent and delivering great results in the capital’s most exciting residential markets. I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and helping to  increase the ways in which we can offer our clients best-in-class service.”

John Gravett, Managing Director at Cluttons, said: “Laura Dam Villena is an established star in the prime market. Our ambition over the next five years is to accelerate our profitable growth in the London residential sector.  We’re delighted to have her in the team, and we know that her experience and ideas will provide that additional spark in our ambitions for growth.”