Talented graduates join expanding team at Halls
A leading independent firm of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers has strengthened two of its divisions by recruiting talented graduate surveyors.
Kate Oakes and Ellie Studley have joined the growing Rural Professional and Commercial teams respectively at Halls’ headquarters in Shrewsbury, having recently graduated.
Kate, 22, joins the team led by Louise Preece, Halls’ associate director and head of Rural Professional Services, while Ellie, 21, from Malpas, joins James Evans, head of Halls Commercial and his team.
Jon Quinn, Halls’ managing director, said: “We are delighted to welcome two more talented young graduates to our company and look forward to Kate and Ellie contributing to the continued success and growth of the business.
“It’s imperative that Halls continues to recruit the most talented young people, so that we have the perfect blend of experience and youth to drive the company forwards to take advantage of new business opportunities.”
Kate won two awards as she graduated with first class honours in Rural Enterprise and Land Management from Harper Adams University.
Her parents run a 25-acre smallholding where they keep beef calves and specialise in breeding standard bred horses for harness racing. Their brood mare, Teatime Hall, was imported from Canada and has produced four British record holders.
A keen horse rider herself, Kate also owns a small flock of award-winning Poll Dorset sheep which she shows and was reserve champion at Minsterley Show this summer.
She is the new secretary of Chase YFC and is looking forward to helping Halls to secure new business in Staffordshire whilst also supporting the company’s existing clients.
“I was attracted to Halls because it’s such a well respected company in the Midlands and Wales which has a good mixture of rural professional work,” said Kate. “I am particularly interested in compulsory purchase and landlord and tenant matters, as well as the new environmental and grant schemes for landowners and farmers.”
Ellie, a Real Estate graduate from Liverpool John Moores University, is also a keen horse rider, owning three horses and having previous experience as a British eventer.
“This is the ideal job for me because my degree aligns with the work that Halls does,” she said.
“It’s a great time to join the company as it continues to grow which will hopefully lead to opportunities to develop my career.
“My immediate ambition is to become a chartered surveyor by gaining experience of the industry and improving my skills. I am looking forward to being involved in a full range of commercial work whilst supporting James Evans, who has vast commercial experience.”
Mr Quinn, who became managing director in August, 2022, is keen to marry the company’s rich heritage with new technologies and principles to secure new opportunities for the business, supported by a skilled, dedicated and multi-disciplined workforce.
"There is real energy and enthusiasm to drive the company forward to continued success in all areas in which we operate – and possibly some new ones – by taking advantage of emerging business opportunities,” he added.
