Three big names battled it out for this award, sponsored by Property week, and DTZ Residential emerged as the winner by a narrow margin

Winner: DTZ Residential

DTZ’s Edinburgh-based team has an impressive track record, last year generating 3500 plots for development and selling 2750 new homes. In Edinburgh, the company acted for developer FairBriar in a complex land deal for the 10 acre Powderhall Stadium brownfield site in Edinburgh. The site had been neglected for some time and in bringing it through for development permission for change of use had to be obtained and flood studies and prevention measures initiated. The site was subsequently sold to Bryant Homes and Miller Homes, and 400 homes have been developed there to complete a five-year redevelopment process.

Second: FPDSavills

In 2002 FPDSavills’ development land team advised on 28,000 acres of strategic development land, and sold in excess of 1000 acres. The company was involved in the sale of 3197 new homes, a 42% increase on the previous year. At Regent Quarter, near King’s Cross in London, the company has given advice on affordable housing, layouts, specification, lease and management issues and marketing and public relations strategy. It also had to consider the impact of commercial uses immediately adjoining or within the same building as the residential.

Third: Knight Frank

Knight Frank is applying the full range of its expertise to attract both residential buyers, and commercial tenants such as Marks & Spencer and Jury’s Inns to St George’s Imperial Wharf scheme in Fulham, west London. The company was responsible for the sale of more than 4500 homes last year.

Building Homes Quality Awards 2003