Knight Frank announces Liza-Jane Kelly as new head of London residential sales

Property consultancy Knight Frank has announced the appointment of Liza-Jane Kelly as Head of London Residential Sales. Formerly Head of London Residential at Savills, Liza-Jane will join the firm in September as a Proprietary Partner and will work alongside Rory Penn, current Head of London Residential Sales, during a transition period before he takes on the role of Senior Partner and Group Chair in April 2027.

With over 25 years of experience in the London market, Kelly built her career in roles at Hamptons International and Marsh & Parsons, where she was instrumental in the firm’s rapid expansion across the capital. In 2018 she joined Savills to lead its core London sales team, before rising to Head of London Residential.

In her new role, Kelly will lead Knight Frank’s London Residential sales business, joining the Residential board and driving the strategy and performance of the firm’s flagship sales offices across the capital. She will also take on responsibility for growing the firm’s newly launched affiliate broker model, which enables self‑employed brokers to work independently on patches adjacent to Knight Frank’s existing London offices, while remaining fully aligned and partnered with Knight Frank.

Tim Hyatt, Head of Residential at Knight Frank, said: “Amid some of the toughest market conditions I’ve witnessed, Knight Frank has remained the leading agent across our London markets under Rory’s leadership. He has steered the business through significant change, not least the launch of our affiliate broker model, which is gaining strong traction among top-tier brokers.

“Liza-Jane brings a distinguished track record of building and scaling estate agency businesses across an extensive London network, and I’m confident she will build on this momentum - bringing fresh energy, clear strategy and new thinking to further strengthen our offer. I look forward to working with her as we continue to cement our market leadership together.”

Liza-Jane Kelly said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Knight Frank and to be working alongside such a talented, respected team. Knight Frank’s reputation in the London market is exceptional, I am looking forward to building on that legacy and helping shape the future of our residential business in the capital.”