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Valuation Specialist Joins Vail Williams In Oxford



Property consultancy Vail Williams has appointed a valuation specialist in Oxford to meet growing business demand.


David Grove joins as an associate at the office, which opened just under two years ago as an extension of the firm’s Thames Valley region.


Bringing 30 years’ experience, David provides valuations for secured lending and for pension, accounting and probate purposes as well as for commercial, retail, residential and education sector estates, along with lease advisory work.


Richard Dawtrey, who leads the Oxford office, and is Vail Williams’ lead partner of investment, said:

“David’s remit is valuation work for secured lending and other purposes, supporting clients with market-focused advice across a range of property assets."

“His strong understanding of local and regional markets makes him a trusted adviser within the Oxfordshire property landscape.”


David said:

“Vail Williams has a high quality, established client base in and around Oxford and I look forward to providing well-rounded, pragmatic consultancy to lenders, investors, landlords, occupiers and professional advisers.”

With 13 staff supporting its Oxford office, located at New Barclay House in Botley Road, Botley, the business has ambitious plans to further expand the team this year with further lease advisory, agency and building consultancy capability.


Vail Williams’ full-service property advice includes commercial agency, investment and development advice, building consultancy, property valuation, planning, lease advisory, property asset management, business rates and occupier consultancy.


Last year the firm launched a new three-year business plan aimed at further innovation, service excellence and sustainable growth.


Photo: Property consultancy Vail Williams has a new joiner at the firm’s expanding Oxford office. From left, Vail Williams’ David Barden, Regional Managing Partner for Thames Valley, with David Grove, New Valuation Associate at Oxford, and Richard Dawtrey, Head of Oxford office


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  • sophieandrews737
  • Jul 28, 2025
  • 2 min read

A family-run independent estate agent in East Renfrewshire has experienced rapid growth and expanded its team and operations after receiving support from Business Gateway.


Originally set up as Fraser Kelly Estate Agent in January 2022, the business rebranded to Kelly Residential in 2024 after founder Fraser Kelly created a family-led structure with equal partners Finlay Kelly and Jen Kelly, his brother and wife.


The business, which now has seven team members, including four estate agents, focuses on property development and operates as an independent estate agency. Kelly Residential’s business model means the team only works with a handful of sellers at any one time, ensuring that they receive a personalised service and the best advice possible when selling their home.


The team’s strong foundation in social media marketing, deep-rooted local expertise and a reputation for delivering exceptional, personalised service set the stage for its growth.


Having grown up in East Renfrewshire, Fraser and his team pride themselves on providing local expertise, with in-depth knowledge of local school catchments, shops, business parks and public transport links.


The team opened a new office and shopfront in the area in July 2025.


Fraser approached Business Gateway East Renfrewshire in 2024, in need of help with organising the back-office functions of the business which would allow him to put more focus on his role. Fraser received 1:1 business support and advice from Business Gateway adviser, Scott Arnot.


As well as support with the business’ rebrand, Fraser, Jen and Finlay received tailored guidance on scaling their operations, recruiting the right team members and navigating the transition into their own office premises.


Business Gateway’s support also included access to the East Renfrewshire Accelerator (ERA) programme, which provided expert-led training and mentoring tailored to ambitious local businesses. The ERA programme is funded by East Renfrewshire Council’s local discretion fund.


Fraser Kelly, Director at Kelly Residential said: "As a family, we’d already built a business we were proud of - but we knew we needed the right kind of support to take it to the next level. Scott helped us focus on what we do best - looking after our clients - while also giving us the tools and confidence to grow. From understanding the funding landscape and additional resources available to us, to structuring our team and building our admin support, his guidance has been instrumental."

"We would not have had the success we have this past year had we not been part of the ERA Programme, as well as having access to fantastic resources, working and growing alongside other like-minded and approachable businesses has been invaluable to us.”

Scott Arnot, Business Gateway East Renfrewshire adviser said: “It’s been great working with Fraser to take some of the pressure off him as a sole trader and as he brought new team members on board. I was glad to have been able to help the team to focus on what they do best – working with their clients."


"The business is doing a fantastic job challenging the traditional view of estate agents and giving a bespoke service to clients.”

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