Do you source assets?

No. We hold no stock, run no processes and receive no introducer fees, which is what makes the review worth commissioning.

Will using an independent advisor upset our agent?

In our experience, no. Good agents are comfortable with independent scrutiny of a case they believe in.

What does an independent review cost relative to agency fees?

Fees are fixed and scoped in advance rather than a percentage of value, and are agreed before any work begins.

Institutional Advisory

Investment Agency or Independent Property Advisor?

Buyer deciding which kind of property adviser the decision actually requires.

Mandates from £50m

By Real Estate Investment Advisor UKPublished 13 August 2026Last reviewed 13 August 2026Written for UK and international institutional capital

Key facts

Investment agency is a transaction service: sourcing, marketing, negotiating and closing, remunerated on completion.
Independent advisory is an analytical service: a written verdict on whether to commit, remunerated on the analysis.
Both are legitimate. The error is commissioning one when the decision needed the other.
An agent's incentive aligns with a transaction happening; that is the arrangement, not a criticism.
We do no agency work of any kind and take no fee from any party other than the client commissioning the review.
Institutional mandates from £50m. Private-investor engagements are handled on our advisory track.

Search for a property investment advisor and you will mostly find investment agencies, because agency is the larger and better-funded business. They do a job that needs doing. It is simply not the same job as telling you whether the capital should move at all, and the difference is entirely visible in when each party gets paid.

What is the difference between investment agency and independent advisory?

Investment agency finds, markets and transacts assets and is paid on completion. Independent advisory examines a decision and is paid for the analysis. The agency question is 'can we secure this asset on these terms'. The advisory question is 'should this capital be committed, at this price, now'.

When do you need an agency?

When the decision to invest in a sector or a lot size is already taken and you need access, coverage and execution. Agencies see stock before the market, know which vendors are motivated, and run competitive processes well. Nothing in independent advisory replaces that.

When do you need an independent advisor?

When there is still a real question: whether to proceed at all, what to pay, how to hold it, or whether the case survives the tenant leaving. Also whenever the asset reached you through the party being paid on completion, because at that moment nobody in the room is being paid to say no.

Can you use both?

That is the usual arrangement at mandate scale. The agency sources and executes; the independent advisor reviews the specific decision before exchange. The two roles do not conflict provided the advisor takes nothing from the transaction.

Agency and advisory compared

Agency and advisory compared
	Investment agency	Independent advisory
Paid	On completion	For the analysis
Core skill	Access, coverage, execution	Underwriting and judgement
Answers	Can we secure it?	Should you commit to it?
Incentive at decision point	Transaction happens	Neutral
Deliverable	A completed transaction	A written position, including 'no'

How the review works

1
Establish the question
Access problem or decision problem — they need different firms.
2
Scope
What must be answered before capital can be committed.
3
Independent review
Income, price, structure, financing and exit examined from source evidence.
4
Written position
Proceed, re-price or decline, with the failure conditions stated.
5
Alongside your agent
We stay available through negotiation without a stake in the outcome.

Request a mandate review

Independent, fee-based and separate from any transaction. Tell us the decision and we will tell you what we would need to review it properly.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Checked 13 August 2026. Tax and regulatory points on this page reflect published HMRC and GOV.UK guidance at the date shown. They are general information, not tax advice — confirm your position with a qualified UK tax adviser before committing capital.