Knight Frank, the UK-based real estate agent, has bolstered its investment arm with two hires from ING Real Estate Investment Management.

Kevin Aitchison, latterly chief executive of the property investment team at ING, has taken overall charge of Knight Frank Investments, while Ian Whittock, formerly chief investment officer of the same team, has joined as head of strategy.

Knight Frank said in a statement that the new additions have brought with them a growth plan for the investment arm. The focus will be on private banks and high net worth individuals, as well as pension funds, both in the UK and overseas, the firm said.

Earlier this week, the company published new research showing that prime central London residential property prices have gone up by more than 10 per cent in the past 12 months.