Strategic real estate advisor Avison Young has announced Harriet De Freitas’ appointment as Director, Office Leasing & Development in its London Markets team.

Harriet will integrate into the existing London Markets team, as the business looks to become a market leader in the London transactional space and continues to support its clients in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Harriet’s core focus will be on to providing new and existing landlords with strategic leasing and development advice across the London markets.

She joins from specialist commercial property consultancy’s Tuckerman and Union Street Partners, where she most recently worked as a Director in the Leasing & Development team, specialising in the Victoria and South Bank markets. She has worked in commercial property for ten years, with previous investment experience working at niche investment firm Nightingale Partners.

Harriet De Freitas said: “I am thrilled to have joined such a fast growing and exciting firm, where I will get to work with some of the most dynamic and experienced agents in the London markets. The office leasing market is evolving at such a rapid pace, working alongside our flexible workspace and investment teams will enable us to offer our clients weighted and timely intelligence.”

James Walker, Principal London Office Agency, London Markets at Avison Young, commented: “I’m delighted that Harriet has joined our London agency team. Her wealth of experience on the South Bank will add a further string to our bow and this intelligence along with that of our growing team can be applied to other markets to provide our clients well rounded, best in class advice across London.”

Avison Young continues to actively invest in its London transactional team to complement its existing best-in-class consultative capabilities, since James Walker, Dominic Amey and Stuart Commins joined from Colliers in September 2021 to help drive growth across the capital. The team has since grown further with the appointment of Martin Devine as Principal in charge of flexible workspace in February 2022, alongside 10 other new recruits across all levels in the London markets team, with additional expansion in the pipeline.