Knight Frank opens Cork office following acquisition by Sherry FitzGerald

Declan O’Reilly, David McCarthy, Amanda Isherwood, and James Meagher will oversee Knight Frank’s Cork office.

Global commercial property firm Knight Frank has announced the opening of a Cork office just weeks after approval of a deal that saw Ireland’s largest estate agency, Sherry FitzGerald, acquire the international brand for an undisclosed sum.

The office will operate out of Sherry FitzGerald’s flagship Cork premises, at No 6 Lapps Quay, in the city’s central business and docklands district.

The office, home to Sherry Fitz since 2005, will accommodate both brands, and will undergo a full rebrand in the coming weeks to reflect Knight Frank’s arrival in the Cork market.

While the office will transition to the Knight Frank brand for commercial services, the Cork-based team remains unchanged.

Clients will continue to work with the same people they have built relationships with, and whose local expertise will be enhanced by Knight Frank’s global platform.

The Cork operation will be led by Sherry Fitz director David McCarthy, a RCIS Registered Valuer and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Mr McCarthy has more than 19 years experience in the Irish property sector and is a highly regarded property professional, with extensive experience across the commercial property sector in Munster. With a strong track record in agency, investment property, lease advisory and development land, he is widely recognised for his deep knowledge of the Cork market and longstanding client relationships. Working alongside Mr McCarthy and forming part of the Cork team is Amanda Isherwood, an Associate Director. Ms Isherwood is a Chartered Surveyor and RICS Registered valuer with over 10 years’ experience in the commercial property industry.

Mr McCarthy said Knight Frank’s arrival in Cork was “a very exciting development for our team and for the wider market”.

“Cork continues to grow in importance as a commercial centre, and bringing a global brand like Knight Frank here allows us to connect local opportunities with international capital and expertise,” he said.

“Importantly, while the brand is new, the team on the ground remains the same—so our clients will continue to receive the same high quality trusted service, now enhanced by a truly global platform.”

James Meagher, director of Knight Frank, said their expansion into Cork was “a natural next step following Knight Frank becoming part of the Sherry FitzGerald Group”.

“It reflects our ambition to grow our presence across Ireland while leveraging the strength of our global network. By combining deep local expertise with international reach, we are enhancing our ability to connect Irish opportunities with global capital, supported by market-leading research and specialist sector expertise.”

HT Meagher O’Reilly took over the Knight Frank brand in Ireland in 2013, and is co-owned by Mr Meagher and Declan O’Reilly.

Sherry FitzGerald’s return to the commercial property business follows a deal announced in January by CastleGate, the family office of technology entrepreneur Tommy Kelly, which acquired Sherry FitzGerald in 2022 for a figure reported to be around €50 million. Mr Kelly made his money when he sold the company he had founded in 2010 - ecommerce company eShopWorld - to Ascendia, a joint venture between La Poste Group and Swiss Post. The deal was reported to be worth around €1bn. Mr Kelly subsequently set up CastleGate investments.

Sherry Fitz’s integration with Knight Frank is not its first venture into the commercial property market. In 1998 it entered a joint venture with DTZ, creating DTZ Sherry FitzGerald. It was later tied to Cushman and Wakefield, but subsequently effectively exited the business after it sold its 80% stake in its commercial arm to Cushman & Wakefield in 2018.

The acquisition of Knight Frank’s Irish business marks a significant milestone following its integration into the Sherry FitzGerald group.

Sherry FitzGerald will continue to operate from Lapps Quay with a dedicated focus on the residential market, including residential sales, new homes and development land.

The company has over 100 offices, including 73 operated by franchise members, and employing over 600 people nationwide. It also operates as Simon Brien in Northern Ireland.

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