Mr Cumming previously spent two decades at Aberdein Considine, most recently as national estate agency director.

The new role brings together responsibility for Rettie’s residential sales and new homes divisions, alongside Rettie Financial Services. Mr Cumming joins Simon Rettie (director), Matthew Benson (director), Becky Lindsay (chief operating officer), and David Gibson (finance director) in Rettie’s executive leadership team.

Mr Rettie said: “Alan is a highly respected and experienced operator in the Scottish property industry, his appointment is pivotal to our growth ambitions and he joins us at an exciting time as we continue to grow our geographic reach and service offering.

“The timing could not be more opportune, as we continue our expansion and increase our market-leading positions across Scotland.”

Mr Cumming said: “With Rettie going from strength to strength, I was attracted to its well established position in the market and growing credentials, its preeminent and well regarded research unit, and the scope of the new role.

“There are so many talented people here, and I am looking forward to supporting the team and helping to drive ongoing success.”

He added: “The UK residential property sector is set for further change over the coming years, with advancements in technology driving increased digitalisation of the buying and selling process. Rettie is already investing heavily in this space and is well positioned to adapt to the evolving marketplace.”

In Rettie’s recent Autumn Briefing report, the firm raised its 2024 Scottish house price forecast by 1.5 percentage points, doubling its prediction to 3%, with Rettie’s research unit adjusting its forecast due to the recent reduction in the UK interest rate. With the level of residential property transactions at around 93,000 in 2023, Rettie is forecasting a modest increase this year and a gradual movement towards a longer term trend of around 100,000 sales per year as the economic recovery becomes more established.