Land Acquisition

Our agency has one of the most forward-thinking departments in the county dedicated to Land and New Homes.

We have the perfect blend of experience, enthusiasm and dedication to see a project through from conception to completion.

The team is led by Jonathan Searles, who has practiced in the residential sales market for over twenty years: nine of which have been spent with Ashtons. Jonathan initially worked in the North London and Docklands area before specialising for the last fifteen years in Hertfordshire, building long term relationships with house builders and developers alike.

Working alongside Jonathan are Giles Hastings, Verity Stuart-Thompson, Louise Harrod and Jane Riley.

Giles Hastings is our Senior Land Manager and a member of the Royal Institute of Town Planning who graduated from Oxford Brookes University with an Honours Degree in Land and Planning. Giles previously worked for a large national housebuilder before joining Ashtons seven years ago and has since used his expertise and knowledge of planning to secure a number of high profile developments for our clients. Working closely with local authorities, planners and an extensive network of contacts he has managed to bring a number of sites together where others have failed.

Verity Stuart-Thompson joined Ashtons in 2015 as a Weekend Viewing Guide, whilst in her final year studying Business and Events Management at the University of Hertfordshire. On completion of her degree and realising a passion for Estate Agency, Verity joined the team full time on our Graduate/Trainee Sales Associate programme. Later promoted to the role of Sales Associate, Verity made the decision to specialise in Land and New Homes and joined the department in January 2017.

Louise Harrod has been part of Ashtons for over four years, enjoying a variety of roles including Client Services, Marketing and New Homes Sales. This experience has given Louise a great insight into the home moving process and the different stages involved.  As a Land and New Homes Associate, Louise has developed into an integral member of the team and with her strong customer relationship skills has proved to be the perfect accompaniment to this expanding department.

Jane Riley deals with all administration for the Land and New Homes department. Using skills developed over her 30-year career, Jane supports the department by ensuring documentation is produced efficiently and with speed. Integral to the day to day smooth running, Jane combines her exceptional organisational skills with a keen eye for detail.

Together, we identify potential sites and propose the most suitable development scheme providing both commercial and financial advice. We work closely with planning consultants, conservation specialists and highway advisors to achieve the best outcome.

For developers, our intelligence and experience in the local property market is second to none. We have an enviable share of the local property market upon which we are able to provide first class advice to builders and developers. On the marketing side, we have sound resources from design and print to site representation, whether it be a bespoke individual scheme or a comprehensive new homes development.