Property consultants GBR Phoenix bought by global agency
BIRMINGHAM property consultancy GBR Phoenix Beard has been bought by global agency Savills.
GBR Phoenix Beard is an independent, owner-managed business which operates nationally from its HQ in the city and offices in London and Leeds, having been formed in 2010 from the merger of GBR and Phoenix Beard.
Among its clients are Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Standard Life Investments, Calthorpe Estates and Wesleyan.
The practice employs 205 people, who will all join Savills with immediate effect, and is led by managing director Simon Farrant alongside head of property management Catherine and head of agency Benson.
The Savills and GBR Phoenix Beard teams in Birmingham will relocate to a new combined office in due course following the undisclosed deal and the name GBR Phoenix Beard will be lost.
Mr Farrant said: “We are genuinely thrilled to be joining Savills which reflects the high esteem in which our business and our team are held.
“Savills’ full-service business, global presence and highly developed infrastructure bring significant opportunities for staff and clients alike.
“This is a pivotal moment in GBR Phoenix Beard’s 50-year Gabriel Stephen history and we are excited by the compelling proposition offered to our long-standing clients.”
Barry Allen, head of Savills in Birmingham, added: “Savills has an established reputation on both a national and regional platform and this acquisition will further strengthen both positions.
“The combination of the two businesses and our existing market relationships and expertise will create an impressive force in the market.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the GBR Phoenix Beard team to drive our already strong presence in Birmingham and the wider Midlands area to a new level.”