Central belt drive sees Knight Frank revenue grow 300 per cent in Edinburgh and 250 per cent in Glasgow

The move comes on the back of delivering two consecutive years of record profits, and has seen the firm move to 2 Castle Terrace in the capital and Allan House, 25 Bothwell Street in Scotland’s biggest city.

In the five-year period to year-end 2016, Knight Frank’s Edinburgh office grew turnover by 300 per cent, while staff numbers doubled in its Edinburgh commercial team. In Glasgow, revenues jumped by 250 per cent, with 21 staff now working across its capital markets, office agency, property and facilities management, and building consultancy teams.

Located on the corner of Castle Terrace and Lothian Road, Knight Frank’s new Edinburgh accommodation is a first floor, refurbished 2,950 sq. ft. suite, developed by Knight Real Estate. The office features a new vestibule entrance and common areas, a modern fit-out with built-in efficiency and access to a range of local amenities.

In the heart of the city’s business district, Knight Frank’s new Glasgow office is open plan and consists of circa 3,000 sq. ft..

The listed property was recently refurbished with a modern fit-out delivered by Space Solutions. Both offices are designed to encourage collaborative working and act as a great place to do business for clients and staff alike.

Alasdair Steele, head of Scotland commercial at Knight Frank, said: “This move underlines the exponential growth the firm has realised over the past five years, while supporting our ambitions for future expansion. The new office will allow us to add to our headcount, provide the best possible service to our clients and demonstrates the commitment we have to delivering a great workplace for our people.

“In the last few years, we have merged our property management and building surveying teams across the country, added new services to our offering, and worked on some of the biggest deals in Scotland. We are looking to replicate that in the year ahead and are confident that the firm will continue to grow organically – providing something genuinely different as the commercial property market continues to consolidate.”

John Rae, partner and head of Knight Frank’s Glasgow office, added: “Knight Frank has gone from strength to strength in Glasgow in the past half-decade, working on some of the most high-profile deals and lettings in the city. The new office gives us the perfect platform for further growth, while maintaining the high level of service we offer to our clients and the firm’s status as a great place to work.

“The Glasgow office market has remained a steady and stable place for investment in recent years, offering some notable advantages over other UK regional centres during uncertain times. With supply still low and demand from occupiers and investors remaining robust, we are ebullient for the year ahead and beyond.”