How to use this comparison
The entries below were selected because their official pages describe a service relevant to this guide. They are listed alphabetically, with sources for scope and coverage. This is a starting point for provider research, not a performance ranking or an exhaustive market list. Fees and availability must be confirmed directly.
Pearl Lemon Properties publishes this guide and offers the acquisition services linked below. We have a commercial interest in enquiries. The provider list does not imply a partnership or endorsement.
Provider services at a glance
Compare the role and coverage first, then check fees and exclusions in the provider details below. On a small screen, swipe the table sideways.
| Provider | Role | Published scope | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Frank | Residential capital markets adviser | Residential investments, PRS consultancy and investment valuations | UK residential markets |
| Savills | Residential investment consultancy | Residential investment, development and transaction consultancy | UK, including London |
What to check with each provider
Knight Frank
Knight Frank describes advice on residential portfolios and apartment blocks, with PRS consultancy covering market assessment, scheme analysis and modelling. Its service page also identifies institutional housing categories.
Ask before instructing: Is the proposed appointment an acquisition mandate, valuation, development consultancy or capital-markets instruction?
Fees: Confirm directly: request the fee basis, VAT, payment stages and any third-party charges in writing.
Savills
Savills describes valuation, consultancy and transaction services for residential investment, including private rented sector and single-family housing projects.
Ask before instructing: Which team would handle your asset and mandate, and what deliverables would its appointment cover?
Fees: Confirm directly: request the fee basis, VAT, payment stages and any third-party charges in writing.
Official service information: Savills · Checked
Residential property investment consultancy
For an individual property or small portfolio, define whether you need sourcing, acquisition support, a valuation, a survey or management after completion. Ask who will do the work, what written output you receive and whether a minimum mandate size applies. A firm offering large development consultancy may not accept a single-property brief.
- Will the consultant compare alternatives or only discuss properties it is instructed to sell?
- What rent, local-demand, purchase-cost and works evidence will be supplied?
- Which tasks are excluded, and which surveyor, solicitor or lender must you appoint separately?
Institutional and development mandates
For apartment blocks, build-to-rent and larger portfolios, agree the specific mandate: market assessment, viability, acquisition, disposal or investment valuation. Compare team responsibility, data assumptions, reporting frequency and how the work will support your investment committee's decision. Do not assume an adviser takes on day-to-day property management.
- What scenarios and sensitivity analysis will be included?
- Who is accountable for each workstream and the final report?
- How will potential conflicts with agency, valuation or seller appointments be disclosed?
Fees, independence and written terms
Ask whether fees are fixed, time-based, retainer-based or contingent on a transaction. Confirm VAT, expenses, cancellation terms and any payments from third parties. Independence should be explained through the appointment and disclosed conflicts, rather than assumed from the job title.
Keep specialist advice in the right hands
Property acquisition support does not replace legal, tax, mortgage or regulated financial advice. Match the professional appointment to the decision and check relevant qualifications or permissions directly. Pearl Lemon Properties' linked service concerns non-regulated property acquisition support.
Acquisition support from Pearl Lemon Properties
Tell Pearl Lemon Properties what you plan to buy and which acquisition decision you need help with. We will review your enquiry against our property support scope.
- Our property investment consultant service
See the acquisition-support scope and professional advice exclusions.
Need support with a UK property acquisition?
Tell Pearl Lemon Properties what you plan to buy and which acquisition decision you need help with. We will review your enquiry against our property support scope.
Non-regulated UK property acquisition support