Real Estate Investment Consulting
Real estate investment consulting is analysis you commission: underwriting review, portfolio strategy, holding structure and exit planning, delivered as a written position. We work for UK and overseas investors, charge consulting fees only, and never take commission on a transaction we recommend.
Before offer, exchange or commitment
What your independent purchase review can cover
Send a property you have found, its asking price, rent evidence and proposed finance. We agree the questions, evidence, fee and written deliverables before starting. This is a second opinion on the purchase decision — not a listing service, building survey or legal clearance.
Evidence and missing information
Check price and rent assumptions against comparable evidence; record what is supplied, unverified or still needed from the seller, surveyor, solicitor or lender.
Downside and cash commitment
Separate gross rent from net income. Include voids, repairs, management, compliance, acquisition costs and finance sensitivity; identify the cash buffer needed if assumptions weaken.
A written decision brief
Set out the risks, assumptions, questions before commitment and conditions that could change the conclusion. Your agreed scope defines the analysis, exclusions and decision options.
Bring the questions that could change your offer
- Single-let: does net income still work after voids, repairs and a refinance?
- HMO: are room rents, licence conditions, planning position and compliance costs evidenced?
- Commercial or mixed use: what do lease terms, tenant covenant, breaks, capex and vacancy imply?
- Portfolio: does this acquisition increase lender, location or tenant concentration?
- Overseas: are FX, source-of-funds, ownership and UK/home-country tax questions coordinated before commitment?
Scope first. Fee agreed. No promised return.
Fees depend on the asset, documents, complexity and depth of review. Request a written scope, fixed deliverables, exclusions and fee before instructing. Missing information can limit conclusions; a review cannot remove market risk or guarantee a successful purchase.
Solicitors handle legal diligence, surveyors assess condition, and appropriately qualified or authorised professionals provide tax and regulated financial or mortgage advice. We identify questions for those professionals, not replace them.
Real estate investment consulting is analysis you commission: underwriting review, portfolio strategy, holding structure and exit planning, delivered as a written position. We work for UK and overseas investors, charge consulting fees only, and never take commission on a transaction we recommend.
Who this is for
- You hold or are assembling a UK portfolio and need an outside view
- You are a non-resident investor who needs structure and tax sequencing reviewed
- You need an analysis your board, lender or family office will accept
Who it is not for
- You need a single valuation only — that is a narrower engagement
- You want ongoing property management
What it costs: Fees and written deliverables are agreed before instruction, based on asset complexity, evidence and review scope.
Key facts
- Underwriting review — rebuild the income and cost model from source documents and stress it
- Portfolio strategy — concentration by asset type, geography, tenant and debt maturity
- Structure — personal, company, partnership or fund vehicle, tested with your tax adviser
- Exit — realistic disposal routes, buyer depth, timing and the tax sequence involved
Last reviewed by the Real Estate Investment Advisor advisory team. Fee-only advice — we take no commission from developers, agents or lenders.
What does a real estate investment consulting engagement include?
Four workstreams, scoped to the decision in front of you: underwriting review, portfolio and allocation strategy, ownership and tax structure, and exit planning. Most clients commission one; portfolio holders often commission all four in sequence.
- Underwriting review — rebuild the income and cost model from source documents and stress it
- Portfolio strategy — concentration by asset type, geography, tenant and debt maturity
- Structure — personal, company, partnership or fund vehicle, tested with your tax adviser
- Exit — realistic disposal routes, buyer depth, timing and the tax sequence involved
How is consulting different from advisory or agency?
In practice the labels blur, so judge by remuneration rather than by title. Consulting here means a scoped analytical engagement, priced in advance and delivered as a written document. Agency means a fee on transaction. If a firm calls itself a consultancy but is paid on completion, it is an agency.
Do you work with overseas investors buying UK property?
Yes. A substantial share of consulting work is non-UK capital acquiring UK assets, where the decision has to survive in two tax jurisdictions at once and the UK-specific rules — the non-resident surcharge, non-resident capital gains tax, the Register of Overseas Entities — are usually discovered too late.
What size of investment is this appropriate for?
Suitability depends on the decision, asset complexity and information available, not a published minimum capital figure. Tell us your budget, proposed acquisition and decision deadline so the review scope can be agreed.
How the engagement runs
Scoped, fixed-fee and time-boxed. You know the cost and the timetable before any work begins.
- 1Scoping call — you describe the asset, the portfolio or the question. Same week.
- 2Scope, fixed fee and timetable confirmed in writing before work starts.
- 3Analysis and evidence gathering, independent of everyone selling into the deal.
- 4Written position delivered, including the case against proceeding.
- 5Follow-up call to challenge the conclusion and agree what you do next.
How we differ from agents, sourcers and brokers
The difference is who pays, because that decides which answers are available to the adviser.
| Estate or investment agent | Property sourcer | Us | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid by | The seller, on completion | A finder's fee on the purchase | You, for the analysis |
| Decision focus | Sale or acquisition instruction | Finding an acquisition | Independent purchase assessment |
| Holds stock to sell | Yes | Yes | No |
| Downside analysis | Ask about scope | Ask about scope | Defined in the agreed review scope |
| Output | Depends on instruction | Depends on instruction | Agreed written review |
Not sure this is the right engagement? Tell us the decision you are facing. If another service fits better — or if you need a broker, surveyor or tax adviser rather than us — we will say so on the first call.
Book a CallScope a consulting engagement
Describe the asset, the portfolio or the question. We will come back with the scope, the fee and the timetable before any work begins.
Book a CallFrequently Asked Questions
Related decisions and advisory work
The questions investors usually resolve alongside this service.
Bring Clarity to the Decision
We act as an independent real estate investment advisor in the UK, helping investors assess risk before committing capital.
If you are weighing allocation, risk, or exposure and want a clear, reasoned view, an initial advisory discussion can help clarify how to proceed.