NFU appoints Burley Browne to manage UK property portfolio

Burley Browne is celebrating winning one of its largest instructions after being appointed by the National Farmers Union (NFU) to manage its entire property portfolio across the UK.

Burley Browne will be the NFU’s property advisers, providing services including property management, lease advisory and agency for all its commercial properties and land in locations such as Exeter, Carmarthen, Dorchester and York.

Winning the contract in a competitive tender illustrated the Sutton Coldfield-based property consultancy’s ability to work alongside national clients with large portfolios, said Burley Browne joint managing director David Hemming.

“This is a substantial success for the entire Burley Browne team and it reflects the hard work and growth within the business we have enjoyed over the last three years, particularly with the expansion of the management department,” said David.

“The NFU undertook a tender process early this summer to appoint a firm of surveyors to provide advice and real estate services for their UK Property portfolio. We have been successful and we are now undertaking the handover process ready to commence in December. We can’t wait to get started.”

The NFU represents more than 46,000 farming and growing businesses. Its purpose is to champion British agriculture and horticulture, to campaign for a stable and sustainable future for British farmers and to secure the best possible deal for its members.

It owns a range of properties, some are operational, some are investment properties. The properties are maintained by an in-house team but it was seeking a firm of surveyors to formulate a property strategy, and to provide advice and real estate services for the organisation.

Burley Browne will work with the NFU to create a property strategy, provide advice on physical improvement and capital investment, and manage its property portfolio.

Services include property management – calculating and arranging for collection of service charges, year-end service charge reconciliation, rent and business rates; lease advisory to include rent reviews and lease renewals; agency including sales, lettings and acquisitions; and building surveying.

The instruction will be headed by David Hemming (agency services), James Merrick (lease advisory) and Katie Mills (property management), with the assistance of a number of members of the Burley Browne team.

Burley Browne is one of the West Midlands’ leading independent commercial property consultants. It provides a comprehensive range of commercial property services to a wide variety of clients. These include private individuals and small businesses, through to pension funds, banks, property investors and developers, multi-national companies and national retail and leisure operators.

From its Sutton Coldfield head office, Burley Browne is unique in providing specialist knowledge provided by chartered surveyors specialising in each sector and discipline and covering the Greater Birmingham and Staffordshire areas (which include Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Tamworth and Walsall), whilst also serving clients across the UK. Visit www.burleybrowne.co.uk for more information.