It was the year in which the UK went to the polls to decide on whether we should remain in the European Union or go it alone, the world said a sad farewell to legends of film, music, TV and sport, and America did the unthinkable by voting in billionaire Donald Trump as the next President.

The uncertainty surrounding Brexit was and still is one of the biggest concerns for UK businesses. But despite the potential challenges posed by Britain’s exit from the EU, the British economy is fairing well, and as we have seen, the commercial property market has been largely unaffected. Indeed, as a business, we have witnessed no ill effects of Brexit. Quite the opposite, in fact.

For the Birmingham office, 2016 was one of our best ever years. Financially we exceeded both turnover and profit targets, made a number of senior appointments and promotions, and continued to win work across all areas of the business.

Valuation enjoyed sustained growth on the back of a number of large local authority contracts, including a £100,000, four-year full asset valuation contract with a district council in the East of England.

We are continuing to work closely with Wolverhampton City Council, which remains a major client across a number of service lines, including valuation, rating and property management.

Not to be outdone, the commercial teams – property management and building consultancy – are also enjoying strong growth.

In April, Carl Kesterton, previously head of building surveying at Gleeds in Birmingham, joined the building consultancy team as an associate to support Adrian Walsh.

Adrian, who joined the firm in 2014, was promoted to partner in August in recognition of his role in doubling the size of the team since his arrival.

During the course of the year we also welcomed a number of new graduates as part of the firm’s commitment to supporting the property industry by providing career opportunities to a new generation of surveyors.

We are looking forward to another successful year in 2017!

For help with all your property matters call Ian Pitt on 0121 200 1100  or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.