DTZ recruits Mason Owen surveyor

David Legat has joined DTZ's northern retail agency team as associate director from Liverpool-based Mason Owen & Partners.

Legat's previous clients include Grosvenor, Aegon, Standard Life Investments, Iceland and Neptune Developments. He will take the lead in the North West on retail agency and provide support to existing DTZ clients including Prestwich NHS Trust, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

DTZ made three other appointments to its Manchester office. Ben Pretty joined as senior consultant to its consulting team, whilst Steve Smith, senior surveyor, and Oliver Moorhouse, surveyor, have joined its residential, land and student valuation and agency team.

Pretty joins from Leeds-based regeneration and property consultancy practice Genecon and has over seven years' consultancy experience, having started his career at Deloitte.

Pretty's previous clients include the Homes & Communities Agency, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and other public and private sector organisations. He will initially be supporting existing consultancy contracts including those with Manchester Metropolitan University, Lancashire County Council and Preston College.

Steve Smith joins from Wrexham Council to provide advice in respect of residential property, development land and student accommodation working on behalf of a range of both public and private sector clients.

Previously employed at Knight Frank and Drivers Jonas, Smith specialises in providing advice to developers and local planning authorities regarding financial viability appraisals.

Oliver Moorhouse joins as chartered valuation surveyor from Manchester-based private practice Mathews & Goodman. Moorhouse has experience providing valuation advice to high street banks and building societies as well as pension funds, private individuals, housing associations and development companies. He will be primarily involved with the valuation of residential property, development land and student accommodation, working on behalf of a range of both public and private sector clients.

Mike Mitchell, managing director for the regions outside London and head of DTZ's Manchester office, said: "Three of these appointments are for new roles and are in response to clients requiring continued quality services."