The Team

Richard Knightley

Richard is Senior Director in charge of Commercial Agency.

He has specialised for many years in commercial property agency disposal and acquisition work acting for a range of private and corporate clients from owners and occupiers to investors and developers. His clients include Schroders, Swiss Life, Hazlewoods, Dunmoore, Superdry, Astrid & Miyu and Balfe’s Bikes.

Richard is a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer. Prior to setting up KBW in 2007, he trained and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor at Alder King and spent several years at Donaldsons LLP.

Away from work Richard enjoys running, mountain biking and supporting his sons playing football. He has completed several marathons and ultras, raising large sums in donations for KBW’s charity partner Wellchild.

V-Card: Richard Knightley

Nathan Brown

Nathan is Senior Director in charge of Building Consultancy.

Nathan worked for Rail Property Ltd in London during the early part of his career and then moved to Cheltenham to join Donaldsons Building and Project Consultancy team where he became Team Leader. Nathan then set up KBW with two other Directors in March 2007.

Nathan is a Chartered Surveyor and a Registered Member of the Association for Project Safety. He has over 25 years experience concentrating mainly on Project Management, Employers Agent, Cost Consultancy, Fund Monitoring and CDM provision within the Hotel, Leisure, Retail and Residential sectors. Nathan also acts as expert witness in construction disputes.

He acts for clients including Marriott International, Intercontinental Hotel Group franchisees, Boutique Hotel Operators, Commercial and Residential Developers, Yorkshire Building Society, Persimmon Homes, Investec, Clydesdale Bank, Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited, Rituals, Hilton International and Sweaty Betty.

Nathan is a keen cyclist. When other commitments allow he also plays football and cricket.

V-Card: Nathan Brown

Steven Wood

Steven is Senior Director of Professional Services for KBW and specialises in lease consultancy and business rates.

He works throughout the UK for clients including Arla Foods, Yorkshire Building Society, Leon Restaurants, Oak Furnitureland, Reiss, Sweaty Betty and Soho Coffee Shops.

Steven is a Chartered Surveyor, Registered Valuer and a member of the Rating Surveyors’ Association. He regularly acts as expert witness in lease and business rate dispute resolution proceedings.

Prior to setting up KBW in 2007, Steven spent several years working throughout the UK for Donaldsons LLP.

Away from work Steven enjoys playing football and is a keen runner.

V-Card: Steven Wood

Ben Crough

Ben is Director in charge of Commercial Property Management.

With a key focus on servicing new and existing clients, Ben is responsible for all aspects of service delivery for the management of property across all sectors.

Ben brings more than 20 years of industry experience having worked in Investor Property Management, Capital Markets, Asset Management and Corporate Real Estate in the UK and Australia.

When he’s not working, Ben can be found chasing after his three kids (and wife), playing or watching sports, practising the guitar and socialising.

V-Card: Ben Crough

Laura Hatten

Laura is a vital part of our team, bringing her expertise to both commercial agency and professional work. Laura is a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer and was promoted to Associate Director in 2024.

Laura gained several years of experience at Joscelyne Chase in Essex, and her outstanding agency skills were recognised when she was shortlisted for Rising Star of the Year in the National Negotiator Awards 2017. She continues to focus on providing exceptional customer service and building long term relationships.

In her spare time, Laura is a keen country music fan and enjoys long walks with her husband and Labrador Ruby.

V-Card: Laura Hatten

Samantha Palin

Samantha is Estates Finance Manager at KBW.

Sam is a key member of the property management team, assisting with client accounting, rent, service charge, insurance and VAT management. She also specialises in Business Rates management, helping manage and administer the multi-million pound liabilities of several major national property portfolios.

Sam qualified from university with a first-class honours degree in Surface Pattern Design, she continues being creative in her spare time and enjoys artistic pursuits including drawing and knitting. Away from work, Sam loves going on walks with her dog and spending time with her family.

V-Card: Samantha Palin

Ingrid Knightley

Ingrid is the company’s contact for office finances. She ensures that invoicing and billing matters are dealt with correctly and manages the day to day accounts for KBW.

Ingrid has also worked at other local businesses where she has had many successful years working in Strategy, Project Management and Business Development roles. Whilst leading projects and managing commercial tenders her work included working with commercial and public sector clients and partners.

Outside of work, Ingrid enjoys time playing badminton, walking and spending time with family.

V-Card: Ingrid Knightley

Abby McCaffrey

Abby is KBW’s Trainee Surveyor and joined KBW in 2022. She is currently studying towards a degree in BSc Real Estate Management aiming to complete her RICS chartership after graduating.

Abby has a keen fascination with architecture and the built environment, specifically period properties. She works with both the Agency and Business Rates departments at KBW.

Outside of work, Abby enjoys reading historic detective novels and has several creative hobbies including sewing, painting and tap dance. She also enjoys trying new varieties of tea; a tribute to her Yorkshire heritage.

V-Card: Abby McCaffrey

Abi Birch

Abi is the first person most people will speak to when they call KBW and you’ll always be given a warm welcome when you enter our office. Abi supports all departments at KBW and responds to all our calls and emails to ensure they get passed on to the correct member of our team.

Abi has 15 years of experience working in a busy customer facing environment. She provides exceptional customer service and has gained strong customer service skills in previous roles. Building a good customer relationship comes naturally to Abi - skills which come in handy as our Office Administrator!

When she’s not working, Abi enjoys reading and days out with her husband and 3 children.

V-Card: Abi Birch

Richard Knightley MRICS

Richard Knightley

Nathan Brown MRICS

Nathan Brown

Steven Wood MRICS