Cooke & Arkwright named Wales’s Most Active Agent

Award recognises firm's strength across commercial property market in Wales

15 March 2017

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Cooke & Arkwright has been named Wales’s Most Active Agent in 2016 by Estates Gazette, just a few months after winning the title of Most Active Agent in South Wales. The award recognises the firm's strength across the full scope of the commercial property market in Wales, within the office, retail, industrial and investment sectors.

In 2016, Cooke & Arkwright advised clients on some of the most high profile and significant deals of the year. These included the acquisition of 70,000 sq ft of offices for Motonovo Finance along with 42,000 sq ft for Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies, both next to BBC Wales’ new hub in the city’s Central Square regeneration scheme. The firm’s Business Space department also completed the 55,000 sq ft letting at Brunel House to HMRC, while the Investment agency acted for Rosette Merchant Bank and Naissance Capital Real Estate in the purchase of the iconic House of Fraser building in St Mary Street in Cardiff for £37m. In addition, the team secured a key £5m purchase of the Travelodge and Toby Carvery in Whitchurch for Cognitive Properties Ltd,

Chairman, Michael Lawley said, “It is great news to achieve this award, which bears testimony to the firm’s strength as the largest independent commercial property specialist in Wales. The scale and the reach of the business with its spread of instructions across the region allow us to provide what we confidently believe to be the best market intelligence and property expertise available in the region.”

Managing Director Andrew Gardner commented, “This is excellent news and a great reward and stimulus for continuing the hard work and team effort that everyone puts in.”

I have worked with Jeremy Symons over the past three years successfully leasing and buying property in support of my business. I continue to be very pleased with his knowledge of the market and expertise. Our relationship over this time has resulted in acquiring 20,000 sq ft at Capital Business Park in Cardiff, leasing 11,000 sq ft at Southpoint, and subsequently leasing an initial 42,000 sq ft at Parc Bedwas, followed by a succession of expansions of a further 11,000 and then 47,000 sq ft, enabling us to centralise all of our operations at Parc Bedwas in a single 100,000 sq ft facility. The acquisitions were completed at the perfect time for tenant purposes and the rent fixed throughout the term at very economical rates. A job well done.

Bob James, Aerfin