(MRICS, MIAgrM, MRAC)

Appointed Governor in July 2011

David is a Partner of Smiths Gore based at the firm’s Maidstone office and is the Partner with responsibility for farm agency and valuation, dealing with the sale, acquisition and valuation of land, farms and estates across the South East. In addition he provides rural estate management services and advice for trusts, charities and private clients throughout the region.

He currently sits on the Estates Committee.

Experience

David studied Rural Estate Management at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and qualified as a Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor in 1996 whilst working for Savills.

In 1999 David took up position as Head of the Country House and Farm Agency Department of John D Wood & Co. in London specialising in the sale, acquisition and valuation of country houses, farms and estates across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

David joined the rural division of Cluttons LLP in 2005 which following a merger became Smiths Gore in 2008.

David is currently the Chairman of the RICS Rural Board and a member of the Institute of Agricultural Management.

David has had a long involvement in College life and was Chairman of the RAC Student Union between 1992-1993 and served on the Royal Agricultural College Association (RACA) committee from 1995, becoming it's last Chairman from 1998-2002.

Expertise

David has considerable expertise in rural estate management, property portfolio management, farm agency, agricultural valuation, rural planning and development and he occasionally acts as an auctioneer.

David is an Accredited Valuer under the RICS Registered Valuer Scheme.

He undertakes a wide range of rural valuations for private individuals, banks, charities and trusts for inheritance tax, capital gains tax, lending and investment purposes, and has recently been appointed as an expert valuer in a number of litigation cases.