Global property adviser Cushman & Wakefield has hired market-leading investment agent Richard Womack from CBRE to lead its London West End Capital Markets practice. This significant hire follows the appointment earlier this year of James Beckham from JLL to head the firm’s London Capital Markets team and James Crawford who joined from Savills last year to head City of London Capital markets.
Richard joins Cushman & Wakefield from CBRE where for the past 20 years he has concentrated on Central London investment disposals and acquisitions, specialising in the West End market. In addition to many UK clients, over the past eight years Richard has extensively advised Sovereign Wealth Funds and Middle Eastern investors targeting the Central London market.
Recent high profile transactions include; the acquisition of a 64% interest in the Mayfair Pollen Estate advising Norges Bank Investment Management and The Crown Estate for £381m which is the West End’s largest transaction so far this year. He also advised Telereal Trillium on the sale of the London part of Hyperion Portfolio which sold for over £260m and included Coutts headquarters at 440 Strand. Last month he advised Blackstone on the acquisition of Sanctuary Buildings in Victoria for £175m.
Richard will work closely with Cushman & Wakefield’s new head of London Capital Markets James Beckham who joins the firm in February, James Crawford, Andrew Thomas and other senior members of the team to grow the business and lead the push for a greater share of the London investment market.
As a key member of Cushman & Wakefield’s leading global investment team Richard will also work closely with colleagues from APAC, the Americas and Europe to ensure the firm is at the centre of international real estate capital flows.
Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Chief Executive, Digby Flower, said: “This and other key appointments are in line with our strategic plan to be the dominant player in major markets around the world. Richard is without doubt one of the most respected investment agents in the market. He has a first class track record and is credited for securing some of the largest transactions which have come onto the market in recent years. We are now extremely well positioned to significantly increase our market share in the London capital markets arena.”
In line with the firm’s strategic plan to become the dominant player in major cities around the world, Cushman & Wakefield this week announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire leading New York capital markets advisory firm, Massey Knakal Realty Services.
