While Sothebys has been in the news recently for the wrong reasons, the name still carries a lot of clout in the real estate business. Ganly Walters will be hoping that some of the cachet rubs off on its Dublin-based firm now that it has formed an alliance with Bill Montgomery, Sothebys property guru in Ireland. Like other agencies specialising in the country house market, Ganly Walters has been gearing up to grab a lion's share of the action now that country house specialist Hugh Hamilton has retired from Hamilton Osborne King.

Mr Montgomery has acted with Ganly Walters on a number of country properties in recent years and they are currently handling the sale of Humewood Castle, Renata Coleman's Wicklow pile that is proving difficult to shift even in today's runaway market.