Knight Frank has delivered a new national service line to the firm’s offering in Australia, with the inception of Knight Frank Advisory.
Globally, Knight Frank offers this service in London, India and the Middle East, but this is the first time a specific advisory arm will operate in the firm’s Australian network.
Knight Frank Advisory is an end-to-end offering that will see the team work with clients over the entire life cycle of major project investments and complex development transactions, including commercialisation strategy, deal origination and execution, financial structuring and capital solutions, and repositioning plays.
It is a bespoke solution tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of each client, including corporate, institutional and government clients, and will be particularly sought after for major projects involving precinct development, transit-oriented projects and the creation of city centres.
The service line will include three core pillars across Strategic, Commercial and Portfolio Repositioning Advisory Services, underpinning a holistic approach to delivering bespoke project solutions across the life cycle.
Kelwyn Teo has been appointed as Knight Frank Partner, Head of Advisory to head up the new service line and grow Knight Frank Advisory.
He has more than 20 years of experience in property, complex development transactions and structured financing solutions across Singapore and Australia, including roles most recently at Deloitte where he was a Partner, specialising in commercial advisory and structured deals. Kelwyn has also previously held roles at CBRE, where he was promoted to Regional Director and Advisory Lead, as well as at Grant Samuel and PwC.
Kelwyn has a unique skillset, being an experienced real estate advisor and structured transaction specialist, having represented numerous corporate, institutional and government clients on major complex sell and buy-side mandates.
He has worked on development and investment deals totalling more than $10 billion for some of the biggest corporate, institutional and government clients, typically involving urban renewal precincts, transport-oriented developments, and greenfield and brownfield estates. Notable projects include Bradfield City, Waterloo Renewal Estate, Manly Health Precinct, Bays Precinct, Rhodes Hewlett Packard Corporate Park and Barangaroo.
Knight Frank’s new service line will be joined by other senior personnel of the firm. Knight Frank Partner, Life Sciences and Consulting Lawson Katiza, who has been with Knight Frank for more than three years, will also be part of the new Knight Frank Advisory team, with active recruitment underway to further bolster the team.
Knight Frank Advisory will work with other complementary service offerings within Australia, including Capital Markets, Capital Advisory, Valuation and Advisory Services, Project Management, Leasing and Asset Management Services.
Knight Frank Chief Executive Officer James Patterson said he was very excited to deliver a new end-to-end advisory service offering to clients in Australia.
“Currently there are limited firms offering this service in Australia, particularly on such a bespoke level, but it is in demand amongst our clients,” he said.
“This service line will add another arm to our business that is a solutions-oriented offering to our clients, rather than being transaction driven.
“Kelwyn is one of the most experienced and well-respected people in Australia in the advisory space, having worked on some of the biggest and most recognisable projects in the country, and we are confident he will deliver amazing expertise, innovative solutions and ongoing support to our clients.”
Mr Teo said he was looking forward to heading up Knight Frank’s new service line and working to expand the offering over time.
“The truly bespoke nature of our offering will differentiate Knight Frank in the market,” he said.
“I am excited to partner with our clients throughout the life cycle of their major project investments and transactions, and provide a wholistic end-to-end-service.
“Knight Frank’s ability to link in with our global partners will also be of benefit for our clients.”
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