Alan Gilkison: Unlocking the next chapter of growth for Scotland’s property sector

This year marked a turning point for Ryden. We recently entered a strategic investment partnership with Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), a decision that begins an exciting new chapter for our firm. This move wasn’t born out of necessity. It was a deliberate, forward-looking step to strengthen our capabilities, deepen sector expertise and ensure we are equipped to help shape the next decade of Scotland’s property market.

For Ryden, the decision was simple. The world in which our clients operate is becoming more complex, more connected and more demanding of specialist knowledge. Property advisors today tend to fall into two camps: highly niche or truly global. Ryden has always occupied a unique middle ground; rooted in Scotland, trusted by clients, but with long-standing links across the UK. To continue delivering what the market needs, we recognised an opportunity to scale without increasing our base cost. The partnership with LSH was the best way forward.

Our intention was never to become something different. It was to take what we already do exceptionally well and elevate it with the right investment, capability and reach. Clients still get Ryden; the people, the independence, and the culture they know, but with the added depth and resources of the wider LSH group.

A defining feature of this new model is that we remain proudly and unequivocally independent. We continue to operate under the Ryden brand, with the same leadership team and the same client-first ethos. What changes is the scale of what we can now deliver. LSH provides UK-wide reach, market intelligence, additional talent and technical resources, all available to our teams and clients whenever needed. It strengthens our business without diluting our identity.

This hybrid structure is already delivering results. In Scotland, we have grown significantly through the transfer of 15 highly experienced LSH specialists into our business. Their arrival has deepened our expertise in property management, valuation, lease advisory and building consultancy, disciplines where demand is increasing as clients seek to optimise their portfolio, address regulatory changes and transition to net zero. We now operate the strongest valuation team in Scotland in terms of personnel and are seeing continued growth in project management and building consultancy.

Equally important is what we gain through LSH’s national platform. LSH holds numerous major UK-wide mandates and manages many of the country’s premium buildings. The insights and learning from these relationships are already allowing us to raise our game and bring enhanced capability to clients here in Scotland.

While Ryden is now wholly focused on the Scottish market, our colleagues in England have transitioned into LSH’s Leeds, Manchester and London offices. This has created a strengthened cross-border model: Ryden offering unparalleled local insight and relationships in Scotland, and LSH providing national coverage across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Behind the scenes, collaboration between the two businesses has quickly become part of daily working life. Shared clients, joint opportunities and emerging cross-UK mandates are opening new areas of growth, from logistics and offices to regeneration and energy-transition infrastructure.

Looking ahead, our ambitions extend well beyond integration. We are expanding into areas such as cost consultancy, ESG advisory services, green energy and infrastructure, and enhanced planning services. These are areas where clients are increasingly looking for guidance and where we know we can add significant value. At the same time, talent remains a major priority. As demand grows for expertise in sustainability, digital, infrastructure and technical services, we want Ryden to remain a place where specialists can build long-term careers rooted in purpose, professionalism and progression.

We are beginning to see greater confidence return to the investment market, and indicators across several sectors are moving in the right direction. Last year was a record-breaking financial year for Ryden, and we are currently tracking ahead of that - a clear sign that our strategy is working and that the market is strengthening.

With our independence intact, our capability enhanced and a powerful UK partnership behind us, Ryden enters 2026 from a position of real strength. We are not a different business; we are a stronger version of the one our clients already trust. And as we look to the decade ahead, we are ready to play a defining role in the evolution of Scotland’s property market.