Tell me about yourself and your role in our commercial agency team? I’m a senior associate and a key member of our commercial agency team, with a particular focus on our online auctions of commercial properties. Alongside by day-to-day work letting and selling retail units, including lease renewals and rent reviews, I have recently been asked to help grow our commercial auction offering. It’s an area that’s expanding quickly and we will be building on that momentum to develop an even stronger service for our commercial clients.
What types of properties typically go to online auction? Online auction works well for straight forward properties where a client wants certainty transaction and a fixed timescale. But it really comes into its own for the more complex or 'quirky' opportunities, properties with unconventional leases, specialist uses, or conditions and restrictions that can make a private treaty sale more challenging. In those situations, auctions can attractive be a fast, transparent alternative that helps sellers reach the market confidently and move at pace.
Why choose online auction for selling commercial properties? If speed and certainty matter, online auction is hard to beat. If offers a swift route to an unconditional sale, which is particularly valuable where a property has unique challenges, tight deadlines, or needs a clear, committed outcome. For our clients, it’s an added value option that broadens their choices, so we can match the sales strategy to the asset and timescale, not the other way round.
Can you give some examples of commercial properties recently sold at auction? We have recently sold a wide mix of commercial assets via online auction including a redundant police station and magistrate's court, as well as industrial, office and mixed retail premises. Some lots included residential accommodation above, (both tenanted and with vacant possession). These examples are a good snapshot of the variety of properties that can perform really well in an auction environment.
What criteria are considered when deciding to sell a property via online auction? We look at two things: the nature of the asset and the clients’ priorities. Properties with complicated leases, unusual restrictions, or features that make them harder to price and sell by private treaty are often strong candidates. Auction is also ideal when the client needs a quick, unconditional sale and a clear timetable from launch to completion.
How does your role benefit commercial clients across the UK? Based in Bedford, I can support clients nationwide through our network of offices. By combining hands-on commercial agency experience with a clear understanding of the auction market, I’m able to help clients explore the right route to market—offering practical advice and flexible options, wherever the asset is located.
Tell me a bit more about your background I joined Fisher German in 2016; around the time our Bedford office opened following the acquisition of Warmingtons Property Management. I started out in residential property before moving into commercial agency in 2007. I then joined Fisher German from Robinson & Hall, one of Bedfordshire’s established commercial property firms, bringing a broad range of experience into the team.