The decision by Savills stalwart Ronan O’Hara to jump ship to Sherry FitzGerald has been one of the most talked-about appointments of the year.

O’Hara, who began his career as an estate agent at Savills, or Osborne King and Megran as it was then known more than 28 years ago, followed in his father’s footsteps: his father was a director of Savills for 30 years.

O’Hara was manager and associate director in the Blackrock branch of Savills before being appointed a director in 2006.

Having such a long history with one company, he wasn’t exactly top of the list of people most likely to make such a dramatic move.

So when it was announced this week that he had defected to Sherry FitzGerald as a residential director, it was a major topic of conversation around the water coolers of many estate agencies in Dublin.

Not that everything will change; he will still be based on the southside of Dublin where he has built his career and will operate from Sherry FitzGerald’s Dalkey and Dún Laoghaire offices.

Speaking about his appointment, O’Hara said: “I have often described Sherry FitzGerald as the premier brand of our industry. I feel the combination of my experience, the company’s ethos and the strong respected brand that Sherry FitzGerald has will be a good mix.”