Knight Frank's Nicholas Keong expands role to helm auction business; Christopher Loh joins Savills as facilities management head

Real estate consultancy firms Knight Frank Singapore and Savills Singapore have separately announced personnel changes in their auction and facilities management businesses, respectively.

Nicholas Keong will now lead Knight Frank Singapore's auction business, in addition to his current role overseeing the business lines of prime residential sales and leasing, as well as private office.

The expanded responsibilities come as Tan Tee Khoon, head of auction and sales, has left to pursue other interests, the firm said in an Oct 23 release.

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Tan was also head of the agency arm KF Property Network, which would close by the end of this year, Knight Frank had announced in July.

With Keong now as head of auction, residential and private office, the firm said it sees an opportunity to strengthen its residential platform “by bringing together three complementary business lines under a unified leadership structure”.

That will make Knight Frank better able to deliver integrated solutions to property owners, investors and high-net-worth clients, as well as unlock new growth opportunities, it added.

Low Kin Hon, interim CEO of Knight Frank Singapore, said: “Together, these teams support clients at different stages of their property journeys, from investment and acquisition through to leasing, disposal and portfolio strategy.”

In July, Low, who was then deputy CEO and head of valuation and advisory, took over day-to-day leadership of the Singapore business as interim chief after Galven Tan had resigned as Singapore CEO.

Meanwhile, another consultancy Savills Singapore on Oct 23 said it has brought Christopher Loh on board as head of facilities management (FM).

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With the appointment, Savills aims to strengthen its integrated facilities management (IFM) capabilities and deliver innovative, value-driven solutions to clients.

Loh was previously with C&W Services Singapore, the facilities and engineering arm of Cushman & Wakefield, where he had spent nine years and was most recently managing director of facilities services.

With more than 25 years of experience in the built environment and facilities management sector, he has managed FM businesses generating more than $70 million in annual turnover and led over 600 professionals delivering IFM solutions in the government and institutional sectors.

His experience spans IFM, property management, asset management, project management, and leasing and tenancy management services.

In his new role, he will work closely with cleaning company Absolute Maintenance Services as well as mechanical and electrical engineering firm Alpina Holdings, which are part of the Savills group.

Cheng Su Chen, group managing director of IFM and facilities services at Savills Singapore, highlighted Loh’s extensive experience in leading large-scale facilities operations.

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Marcus Loo, CEO of Savills Singapore, said: “Facilities management is an important part of Savills' broader real estate services offering, and we see considerable opportunities to strengthen this business as client needs become more complex.”