Ms Murray brings a wealth of experience to the role, with a proven track record of success in the region.

She is set to join the company at its North Berwick base from East Lothian legal firm Paris Steele, where she spent two-and-a-half years running the estate agency side of the business. Prior to that, she had spent over six years with Haddington-based property professionals Garden Stirling Burnet.

Her arrival comes after Hannah Graham’s recent promotion to Area Director under a new structure which saw the new Simpson and Marwick Group acquire the Simpson & Marwick estate agency business from Moray Group six months ago.

The two senior hires mark some of the most significant personnel additions since Simpson & Marwick first had a presence in the seaside town, recently voted the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times, nearly 40 years ago.

Charlotte Murray said: “Having always admired Simpson & Marwick’s influence and reputation in the East Lothian marketplace, I am delighted to be joining the team. I was impressed by the vision and plans for the future and the new owners’ appetite for success.

“I’m very much looking forward to continuing to work within the vibrant estate agency scene that East Lothian has to offer, while at the same time reinforcing our position as the market leader in the area.”

Ms Murray, accredited in residential valuation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), also achieved the new SPC Property Practice Certification, which is accredited by the Law Society of Scotland.

She joins veteran Matthew Munro in the East Lothian property department and managing director Gary Wales believes the team is ideally placed to drive further growth in 2024.

Gary Wales added: “We were delighted when Charlotte agreed to join us as part of our initial growth plan for the company in East Lothian. She is highly thought of by her peers and is a very valuable addition to the team based in North Berwick.

“Her positivity, ambition and drive to keep developing professionally was a big factor in bringing her to Simpson & Marwick and we now have the important building blocks in place to allow us to become even stronger.”