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CKD Property Advisers

Who we are

CKD is led by Jonathan Kennedy, Frank Speir, Charlie Evans and Dick Murphy, four of the most experienced, dynamic and forward-thinking professionals in the rural property business. The company was set up in 2000 and is recognised as a dominant force in the rural property market.

Jonathan Kennedy and Andrew Macpherson formed CKD Kennedy Macpherson in 2000. They have a considerable track record in buying and selling premium rural properties and a highly respected and trusted knowledge of grouse moors and country estates. Frank Speir, who joined in October 2016, has most recently worked for Prime Purchase, Savills, where he built his reputation in the country house market in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and beyond. Dick Murphy, with his intimate knowledge of the UK’s upland Sporting Estates has been a Director of the company since its inception in 2000 and is based in our North of England offices. Charlie Evans joined CKD in 2019, having worked at Strutt & Parker for 16 years. Charlie was a Director in their Estates and Farm Agency team in London and ran their team covering the South of England.

What we do

We are independent property agents with expertise in buying and selling best-in-class, high-value Houses, Estates, Sporting Properties and Farms. We are active throughout the UK and based from offices in four strategic areas, London (easily accessible for our international clients), the Cotswolds and the North & South of England. We use our specialist skills to act as a strategic partner to our clients, putting the right deal together and seeing it through to a successful conclusion. We specialise in transacting off-market property, using our extensive range of contacts, accumulated from a combined total of 137 years in the industry. Whether buying or selling, many clients prefer their business to be conducted discreetly and privately.

Why CKD

We listen to you
At CKD we believe it is vital to take the time to listen and to analyse every situation, each individual client and property. We do not adopt an automated 'one size fits all' approach to our advice.

We have no risk of a conflict of interest
We are an independent business, with no links to any other property company. We can therefore offer totally unbiased advice without any risk of a conflict of interest. One of the greatest challenges facing the large property firms is that as they grow, the potential for conflict increases. We are fortunate to be able to offer a small, bespoke and independent service without the risk of a clash of interests. You can be sure that we are acting in your best interests and no-one else’s.

We can keep secrets
We don’t rely on publicity to make deals or to create brand awareness as this may not be the right strategy for your purchase or sale. It may be more appropriate to engage with sellers or buyers via personal approach and direct contact. This is often the best way forward and fits our company ethos, which is based on individual client relationships and total discretion. In our experience, many of our clients are understandably concerned about the use of their personal data and the ability to keep private matters strictly confidential within large corporate organisations.

We work directly with you
Our directors have a one-to-one relationship with clients, providing the experience, judgment and attention to detail required to achieve the right results. In this way, we offer a more individual, thoughtful and client-focused service than other property companies in the marketplace.

We have impeccable timing
Timing is crucial. Timing is everything in this industry. Whether it is judging when to approach a seller with an offer or reading the market so you sell at the optimum time, getting this right is the difference between a good result and an excellent result. Our experience helps us to advise on this crucial aspect of a transaction.

We get the balance right...
We know that property transactions require a delicate balancing of professional and personal skills. Combining our knowledge of market conditions with our instincts and intuition is key to our making “the right approach, to the right people, at the right time”.

... and we build trust and connections
Over the years, (not to say, decades!) we have built strong personal relationships and acquired a great deal of local, professional and business intelligence. This provides us with an invaluable network: a crucial asset in a market where a surprisingly high percentage of properties are bought and sold privately.