Graham + Sibbald, one of the UK’s fastest growing and most respected firms of chartered surveyors and property consultants, has continued its expansion plans with the acquisition of English property consultancy Aitchison Raffety.
The acquisition creates a combined business with more than 370 employees operating out of 26 locations and increases Graham + Sibbald’s revenue from £25m to approximately £35m per annum.
Signalling a major vote of confidence in Graham + Sibbald’s ambitious growth plans, creating a truly UK-wide multidisciplinary business. Since its foundation in Dundee in 1959, Graham + Sibbald has grown across Scotland and into key cities in England. Its 270 people offer the highest quality independent advice to many of the country’s leading companies, including financial institutions, public sector bodies and residential and commercial property investors and developers.
Aitchison Raffety, a leading practice of chartered surveyors, valuers, property managers and town planners, employs more than 100 staff across nine offices in England, including bases in Birmingham, Manchester, London, Northampton and Bristol.
This acquisition therefore perfectly complements Graham + Sibbald’s predominantly Scottish business while further expanding the reach of its multidisciplinary property service offering to national clients, enabling the combined business to enter new specialist markets.
Graham + Sibbald is widely recognised as a market-leader in the valuation of hotels, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, and works with many large hotels, leisure groups and independent operators. Aitchison Raffety will bring new service lines to Graham + Sibbald’s offering, particularly in England, including healthcare services while expanding its business rates and town planning offer with local teams in England.
Les McAndrew, Senior Partner at Graham + Sibbald, said: “After opening our Manchester office in 2019 and acquiring the well-established chartered surveying firm Keningtons in 2022, we have been working hard to build a fully serviced business across the whole of the UK in response to client demand. Now with Graham + Sibbald acquiring Aitchison Raffety, we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the new combined business. I am confident that this acquisition will further springboard our offering across the UK to both existing and new clients.
Aitchison Raffety is a well-established firm in England with many similarities to Graham + Sibbald, such as our service platform, our values and our culture. With the combined new services being offered across both firms, the acquisition is a great fit to allow us to offer our clients a truly multi-disciplinary service across the UK. We are excited by the new opportunities this acquisition brings everyone.”
Ian Wimpenny, Managing Director at Aitchison Raffety, added: “Joining the Graham + Sibbald Group marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Aitchison Raffety. Their long-established and highly regarded reputation in Scotland, combined with a strong, forward-thinking leadership team and complementary service lines, makes this an unrivalled opportunity for both businesses.
Bringing together our shared values, nationwide expertise, and deep local relationships creates a powerful combination that benefits both our people and our clients. By uniting our collective talents and resources, we’ll accelerate growth, expand our capabilities, and offer a broader range of market-leading services across the UK.”
Following a record year of turnover and growth, this move builds on our momentum and positions us to thrive in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving market. Together, we’re creating one of the UK’s most dynamic, client-focused property consultancies, and this is just the beginning.”
To ensure a smooth transition for employees and clients, Graham + Sibbald and Aitchison Raffety will continue to trade as separate entities for an initial period before becoming fully integrated in early 2026.