Land and New Homes - Meet the team

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.

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.

Oliver Crudgington is Land Manager at Ashtons and has honed his expertise in the property sector over the past fifteen years. Working in some of the busiest estate agents in North London and Hertfordshire, Oliver has specialised in both residential and commercial sales. With a proven record of managing complex chains and building strong networks, Oliver is seen as a trusted pair of hands by developers and house builders.

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.

Rhiannon joined Ashtons in 2018 as a Land & New Homes Associate. Having gained valuable experience over the last 2 years working within residential sales and for a large developer within New Homes. Rhiannon is keen to utilise her skillset to provide additional energy and expertise to the Land & New Homes team whilst also enjoying continued learning and adapting within the ever changing market of New Homes.

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.