Knight Frank Singapore hires two property veterans to head consultancy, research

KNIGHT Frank Singapore has hired property veterans Alice Tan as its head of consultancy, and Leonard Tay as its head of research, it said on Monday.

Mr Tay was appointed in May, while Ms Tan will rejoin the firm in August to take over Tay Kah Poh, who is retiring this year.

Ms Tan, who has 17 years of real estate and construction industry experience, formerly spent six years heading Knight Frank's consultancy and research division. She is currently senior director of research and consulting at Edmund Tie & Company.

Her experiences include advisory on notable local projects such as Our Tampines Hub, the Sentosa-Brani Master Plan, one-north Retail Master Plan, and the Thomson-East Coast Line MRT stations, as well as consultancy expertise across China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos.

In her new role, Ms Tan will lead Knight Frank's consultancy team in comprehensive real estate advisory work involving feasibility studies, master planning, financial and business modelling, market analysis and development strategy across public and private sector clients.

Apart from covering the residential, retail, capital markets, hospitality, property asset management, and office and industrial sectors, she will help expand the breadth of the firm's business development and consulting capabilities.

Mr Leonard Tay, who has 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, previously held senior roles in the research teams of CBRE and Colliers International.

He was a lecturer in real estate subjects at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and conducted continuing professional development courses at the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers.

He will focus on tracking and navigating the real estate market, developing insights to drive thought leadership, and deep dives into data and analytics to support the firm's business and strategic initiatives.

Knight Frank Singapore group managing director Wendy Tang said the appointments of Ms Tan and Mr Leonard Tay are part of the firm's efforts to "bolster its suite of its advisory arms to cater for niche market segments".

Ms Tan and Mr Leonard Tay possess "excellent market knowledge and acumen" that will "add dynamism and dimension to the business", she added.

"The economy and real estate landscape is changing in leaps and bounds. The one-size-fits-all approach is no longer applicable," Ms Tang said. "Clients require more in-depth, tailored and personalised solutions to fit their businesses."

She added that it is "critical" for Knight Frank to relook its business, and identify channels and opportunities that can be further developed.