Three of Gooch Webster’s youngest directors have defected to set up their own niche investment agency.
James Young, David Holt and David Whitmarsh – who are all in their 30s – left last week and will set up Whitmarsh Holt Young in March.
They claimed to take with them commitments from up to eight institutional and property company clients.
The split is the first since Gooch Webster was formed from the merger of Gooch & Wagstaff and J Trevor & Webster last March.
Young will specialise in national investment agency and development funding, Whitmarsh will concentrate on central London investment and Holt will concentrate on national agency.
Whitmarsh Holt Young, which will be based in the West End, will join a burgeoning list of niche investment agencies which specialise in off-market deals. Rivals will include: Lewis Ellis, Anthony Green & Spencer, Michael Elliott & Partners, Holley Blake, Purkiss Hanrahan, Brown Cooper Marples, BH2, Lewis & Partners, Franc Warwich, Mason Philips and RMJ.
Young admitted that competition for deals will be stiff, but said that having established clients onboard would be an advantage.
‘This is a good opportunity and will allow us to get our teeth into something very different,’ he said.