Scottish rural property consultancy Davidson & Robertson (D&R) has appointed a new head of agency.
Chris Edmunds has been selected to drive forward the growth of property sales at D&R, the consultancy said.
Edmunds spent his placement year with the firm at the Edinburgh office in 2009 and joined the team in August 2011 following his degree at Harper Adams University.
He gained qualifications as a chartered surveyor and became a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV).
Chris Edmunds
D&R said Edmunds has “strong roots” in the local farming community and headed the development of the Cockermouth office which launched in 2015. He was promoted to director in 2016.
Commenting on his new role, Edmunds said: “We are always looking at how we can improve how we support clients looking to buy or sell properties.
“We cover Scotland and Northern England with a dedicated sales team with rural backgrounds, qualifications, experience and regional awareness. Knowing the local market is crucial when buying and selling rural properties.
“Clients also appreciate the breadth of our sector specific knowledge – that includes forestry, renewables, natural capital, and development. It means we review opportunities with properties coming to market from a wider perspective.”
Overall, Edmunds said despite challenging economic conditions, 2023 saw a significant increase in active buyers on the D&R database.
“…and we realised strong sales growth – especially in south west Scotland, something we believe is set to continue,” Edmunds said.
“Sales transactions are up on the previous year – especially when comparing the last quarter, and that is across a wide range of rural properties – from development land, residential and small holdings to large prime grass-growing farms.
“2024 is already looking very promising, with a strong start for property enquiries and a number of exciting launches coming to market in the spring. People are certainly planning ahead this year with more interest at this stage than we have seen in the past.”
