Get to know us

David started his career with Burley Property Consultants in 1995 and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1998.

From 2000, David worked with Chesterton and then King Sturge, two of the UK's leading commercial property consultancies specialising in retail and leisure and acting for the likes of Ann Summers, Orange, Holland & Barrett and Centrica.

David returned to Burley Browne in 2005 and now as co-owner and Joint Managing Director and Head of the Agency team advises a wide variety of clients including local authorities, landlords, land owners, investors and developers both locally and across the UK as well as independent, regional and national retail and leisure operators. Notable clients have included handmade burger co where David was instrumental in helping to grow their restaurant portfolio from one restaurant to over 30; Barburrito, acquiring locations across the UK.

David acts for a wide variety of landlord, developer and investment clients, and remains actively involved in acquiring commercial premises for investors and occupiers across the Midlands and the wider UK.

David is also a board member of Sutton Coldfield Town Centre BID (Business Improvement District) and BID representative on the Town Centre Regeneration Partnership helping to reshape the town centre through the Masterplan.

James started his career in 1997 at Frank Nason & Co in the Black Country, operating in general practice and moved to Johnson Fellows to specialise in retail property in 1999.

Having qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in early 2000, James worked in the landlord and tenant team advising on rent reviews, lease renewals, re-gears and valuations on all forms of retail property.

In 2017 James moved to Burley Browne, firstly as Director and from April 2020 as co-owner and Joint Managing Director. James continues to act on landlord and tenant matters, in addition to developing and driving the business forward with David and the team.

James has represented and advised national multiple retailers, institutional landlords, developers and investment funds as well as local occupiers and private landlords.

James has substantial experience representing parties as an Expert Witness in Arbitration and Independent Expert proceedings as well as at Court and PACT, and is an RICS accredited Expert Witness specialising in retail property.

James is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and also sits on the RICS Presidents panel of Arbitrators, receiving both RICS and private appointments to act as an Arbitrator in respect of rental disputes.

James has been an RICS APC assessor for over ten years and is a former member of the RICS West Midlands Regional Board.

Ben joined Burley Browne in January 2010 as a Graduate Surveyor having previously been with another Birmingham firm dealing with commercial property valuation.

Ben successfully qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in September 2012.

Ben deals with all aspects of the business including commercial agency, sales, lettings and acquisitions as well as rent reviews, lease renewals and valuations.

Ben was promoted to Associate Director in January 2016.

Katie joined Burley Browne in September 2022 as Property Manager within the Property Management department with responsibility across the business’s extensive and growing Property Management portfolio and comprising a mixture of assets including retail, offices, industrial and mixed use. Katie was promoted to Senior Property Manager in December 2023.

Katie joins from established Black Country surveying practice Bond Wolfe where she spent 8 years, firstly in the Commercial Agency department and since 2017 in Property Management.

Chartered Surveyor Elle Joannou joined the business in January 2024 from Colliers in Birmingham where she spent over 2 years.

Elle will support the landlord and tenant and property management teams, working alongside joint managing director James Merrick and Senior Property Manager Katie Mills.

Eleanor joined the business in January 2024 to support the continued growth of the extremely busy agency department.

Eleanor will be dealing with a wide cross section of agency instructions across Offices, Industrial, Retail, Investment and Acquisitions.

Eleanor brings with her 5 years experience in the commercial property market having joined from established Birmingham practice BK and Cushman and Wakefield prior to that.

Kate has been with the business for 18 years and is at the heart of the agency team acting as Agency Administrator assisting on all aspects of the agency process.