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Graham + Sibbald, UK Chartered Surveyors and Property Consultants, have announced the promotion of Chris Ion and Derek Richardson to Partner level within the firms established Aberdeen office.
These promotions come as part of the firms strategic business growth strategy which has seen them go from strength to strength in recent years, opening five offices in 2022 alone and boasting a total complement of almost 300 staff members working across the UK from London to Inverness.
With a master’s degree in Property and Management from the University of Aberdeen and over 15 years’ experience in commercial property, Chris Ion joined Graham + Sibbald’s Aberdeen Office in 2021 as a Director of Agency. Prior to that, Chris was Partner at a rival firm where he worked across the agency and capital market teams. Chris’ remit primarily involves disposals and acquisitions of commercial properties on behalf of a range of clients across Aberdeen and the surrounding local area, while aiding in the development and service offering of the Graham + Sibbald Commercial team across the UK.
Chris Ion commented, “It has been an exciting time to have been part of the recent growth of Graham + Sibbald and we are already seeing the benefits of the increased presence south of the border. Together with fellow new Aberdeen Partner, Derek Richardson, we are looking to continue to build on the strong team to make sure we continue to serve our established and growing client base.
“In Aberdeen, our local market is often to an extent counter cyclical and we are cautiously optimistic about its prospects in sectors of the property market. In particular, the previous year saw the highest take-up figures for industrial since 2014, while the Grade A city centre office Stock has reached its lowest level since 2016. There are also recent changes to empty property relief in the Aberdeen City Council region which is already having an impact with more landlords seeking advice as a direct consequence.”
Derek Richardson is an RICS Registered Valuer and Chartered Surveyor within the Graham + Sibbald Aberdeen office, with over 10 years’ post qualification experience within the commercial real estate sector. He specialises in providing commercial valuation advice for acquisition and secured lending purposes as well as valuations of specialist property portfolios for financial statements. Derek also liaises with various lenders, assisting them with professional advice on estate within their existing loan book.
Derek Richardson commented, “The transformation of the Graham + Sibbald business as a whole has been remarkable over the short time that I’ve been with the firm and there’s also a real positivity going forward in both the Aberdeen office with Chris Ion heading up the Commercial Property Agency team and the wider UK Valuation and Advisory team with Stephen Craig working at the helm.”
Both working within the commercial property sector, Graham + Sibbald operate across a broad range of market sectors, including the industrial, office, land and retail markets as well as having an established presence in number of specialist areas including Hotel + Leisure, Petroleum + Roadside, Healthcare, Social Housing, Land + Development and Ports + Harbours.
The team can assist with property disposals, acquisitions and redevelopment in addition to undertaking valuations for secured lending, financial statements, pension fund purposes and much more, working to deliver a prompt high-quality service with a bespoke approach to meet specific needs and requirements.
