Savills

A London-headquartered property adviser, founded in 1855, that helps people buy, sell, let, value and manage property through offices across the UK.

About Savills

Savills is one of the best-known names in British property. It advises people and organisations who want to buy, sell, rent, value, manage or invest in land and buildings, from homes to offices and farmland. Its own history page calls it one of the UK's leading auction houses and says its research is world-leading. Several separate UK companies carry the Savills name, including Savills Commercial, Savills Capital Advisors and Savills Financial Services, which gives a sense of how many different kinds of work sit under one brand.

The business began in 1855 when Alfred Savill started work at 27 Rood Lane in London as Savill and Son. At first much of the work was agricultural, helping to manage and value land. By the time Alfred died in 1905 his sons Alfred, Edwin and Norman were partners. The firm merged with a rating surveyor and commercial property adviser in the 1950s, took the Savills name in the 1970s, and became a public company in 1988. Its pages give no formal mission statement. The nearest wording is "For over 170 years, we've been helping people thrive through places and spaces", along with the claim that trust, honesty and professionalism sit at the heart of its relationships.

In the UK, the registered office is at 33 Margaret Street, London. The history page lists a regional network that covers London, the East of England, East Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands. A separate Savills news item marks 30 years of its office in Oxford, a reminder that many offices have been part of their local town for a long time. Savills also operates overseas and says more than 42,000 people work for it in over 70 countries.

On people and culture, the company says it is full of extraordinary individuals and that it treats diversity and inclusion as fundamental to the business. It also says it aims to make a positive impact on the communities where it works. These are the company's own statements and we have not checked them independently. A historical detail from the 1960s, when a number of young partners were admitted to reflect the times, hints at a firm that has changed with the decades rather than standing still.

A property adviser of this size employs far more than estate agents. There are valuers and surveyors who judge what a building is worth, researchers who study markets, auctioneers, lettings and property managers, planners, analysts, lawyers and finance staff, marketing and technology teams, and people who look after clients. School subjects such as maths, geography, economics, business, history and design all feed into the work. The Savills website is the place to look at current roles.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Advice and agency for homes and commercial property across the UK.', 'title': 'Buying, selling and letting'}
• {'desc': 'Judging what property is worth and studying how markets are moving.', 'title': 'Valuation and research'}
• {'desc': 'Selling property by auction and advising investors, landowners and occupiers.', 'title': 'Auctions and advisory'}

Key facts

• Founded 1855 by Alfred Savill at 27 Rood Lane, London
• Became Savills plc and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1988
• Registered office at 33 Margaret Street, London, with a regional network covering every part of the UK
• Says over 42,000 people work for it in more than 70 countries (company claim)

Website: www.savills.co.uk