Rapleys celebrates 75 years as it grows at pace for new era

Strategic property consultancy Rapleys is celebrating its 75^th anniversary which comes amid rapid but sustainable growth, bucking the trend of widespread consultations in the property services sector.

Over the last eight decades, Rapleys has grown and evolved, alongside major property market moves and shocks.

Senior Partner Robert Clarke discusses the major changes.

“Since 1951, when Rapleys was established, the UK property market has experienced times of significant growth and contraction, with notable cycles – in the relatively recent past – comprising the boom years of the late 1990s to 2007, the 2008 financial crisis (which triggered a downturn lasting until 2013), and a subsequent period of relative consolidation in response to market uncertainty (as dictated by numerous disruptors, such as Brexit and COVID).”

“Throughout this period, Rapleys has built a business based on professionalism and people, innovating constantly. Conversely, as the market has seen increasing levels of uncertainty more recently, we have invested in the partnership, placing certainty and confidence in a sustainable growth strategy that been rewarded with staff turnover falling to its lowest ever rate, and revenue and profits rising significantly.”

“From our beginnings, as an adviser to the housebuilding industry in Cambridgeshire (based near Huntingdon), to the 1970s when we expanded into London, adding commercial expertise in Food Retail and Motor Trade (now known, in the practice, as Retail Agency/Investment and Automotive, Roadside & Future Fuels respectively), through the 1980s when we opened Town Planning and Building  Surveying, we have always sought to diversify and offer blended, commercial and telling advice across professional/advisory and transactional service lines, to the benefit of our client base. This continues today, on a national basis, through our fee earning Divisions (Building Consultancy, Commercial, Planning and Residential) which operate across our network of eight offices (including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester), where the practice’s offer now also extends to include, amongst others, Affordable Housing, Public Sector Regeneration, Residential Agency, Viability, Neighbourly Matters, Retrofitting, Health & Safety, Office Agency, Hospitality, Investment, Lease Advisory and Environmental Assessment.”

“I joined the business in the 1990s when Rapleys was turning over £4m and had approximately 70 people. In 2004 we incorporated and this was when we really started to evolve. Today, Rapleys is a partnership that has a huge heritage, one that we are very proud to state. We have increased the pace of diversification of the business in recent years and made the conscious decision four years ago that, in order to adapt to an increasingly uncertain and changing market, we needed to reposition and grow the business around one central theme: our people.  This has transformed our business from what many considered to be a traditional partnership into a dynamic and entrepreneurial practice, reinvesting profits into long-term sustainable growth with a headcount nearing 200 strong and a turnover of circa £22.5m.”

“Within our partnership, we embrace and foster the best of professionalism, experience and expertise, with innovation, future trend planning and thought leadership. It is led by our people who deliver for clients, as supported by new services, infrastructure and a collaborative culture. As the world has changed, so too have we, and we are looking positively to the future, whilst celebrating our strong past at the same time.”