Watling Real Estate, the real estate consultant formed two years ago today via a management buyout of Avison Young's restructuring division, has launched Watling Consulting, a new service arm.
The new national consulting division, which launches with a team of eight, will be headed by Guy Brett.
He brings 30 years’ experience in real estate consulting developed during a career including senior positions at EY, PWC, Cushman & Wakefield and, latterly, as a senior director at Avison Young.
Andrew Foster, joint managing director of Watling Real Estate, said in a statement: "Guy is one of the leading strategic real estate consultants in the UK marketplace bringing a profound understanding of the prevailing real estate issues facing both the public and private sectors. He has led on a number of significant appointments in recent years working on behalf of central and local government, transport and health bodies, higher education providers, and private companies to name just a few.
“The consulting team builds on Watling’s established commercial and restructuring capabilities, offering strategic depth to help clients address today’s estate challenges. I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to apply this combined expertise to support public bodies under fiscal pressure.”
Watling Consulting said its focus is on supporting organisations with complex portfolios to "develop estate strategies, shape investment cases, optimise performance, and align their property decisions with long-term service and financial goals".
The team brings expertise in public value consulting, working with central and local government, emergency services, NHS bodies, infrastructure owners and corporates.
Brett has experience of providing strategic real estate advice, business cases, organisation design, procurement, performance improvement and estates transformation services to major corporate and public sector occupiers.
His wider experience includes advising on net zero carbon roadmaps, real estate M&A buy-side support and internal corporate profitability and marketing campaigns.
Brett said in a statement: "When the management team shared their vision for growing Watling Real Estate, it aligned immediately with what I’ve been building; a strategic advisory capability that supports clients to make confident, challenging property decisions and subsequently deliver value.
“Watling’s real estate restructuring and delivery experience gives us a strong commercial base, particularly in navigating complex property issues, prioritising investment and securing efficiencies and service transformation."
Watling Consulting had a retained network of over 40 real estate, finance, economists, programme management and performance improvement consultants. They include former advisers and interim managers to national and local organisations.
“As head of Watling Consulting, I’m passionate about supporting finance directors, real estate leaders and executive teams to navigate fiscal, service, regulatory and decarbonisation pressures with clarity and confidence.
“I’m excited to lead a nationwide team that combines strategic consultants with real estate restructuring specialists. Together, we offer a unique blend of public value insight and commercial realism. It’s a dual-lens approach we tailor to each client’s situation, whether in England, Scotland, city or rural.”
Foster added: "Adding Watling Consulting strengthens our ability to support clients not just with delivery and transactions, but with insight and strategic decision-making. Guy brings a rare blend of commercial and public sector expertise; under his leadership, the Consulting division will help our clients navigate challenges from hybrid working to net zero, and make estates work harder for their organisations."
Watling Real Estate was created on 1 July 2023 by a management buyout of the real estate restructuring division of Avison Young. The business is headquartered in London with a network of offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol, providing national coverage with the benefit of local and regional expertise. It has a team of professionals offering a multi-disciplinary real estate advisory business.