Knight Frank Makes Four Senior Appointments to Business Rates Team

Knight Frank, one of the UK's largest independent property consultancies, has announced four senior-level appointments to its business rates advisory division. The moves underscore growing demand for specialist rates expertise as property owners and occupiers navigate the post-revaluation landscape following the April 2026 business rates revaluation.

The appointments come at a critical moment for the UK commercial property sector. The latest revaluation—the first nationwide reassessment since 2017—has significantly altered rates liabilities for thousands of businesses across England, Scotland, and Wales. Many property owners are actively seeking professional guidance to challenge assessments, explore relief schemes, or plan for the three-year cycle ahead of the next revaluation in 2029.

The Four Hires and Their Roles

While Knight Frank has not yet issued a formal public press release detailing the names and specific roles of all four appointees as of 31 August 2026, industry sources confirm that the firm has strengthened its rates team with mid-to-senior-level professionals drawn from competing practices and in-house promotions. The expansion reflects a strategic push to meet client demand across multiple sectors—retail, hospitality, industrial, and office—each facing distinct rates pressures post-revaluation.

This type of team expansion is typical in the immediate aftermath of a national revaluation, when advisory firms see a spike in enquiries from businesses seeking to understand their new assessments and identify mitigation options. The appointments signal confidence in sustained demand for rates expertise over the remainder of the 2026–2029 cycle.

Context: The April 2026 Business Rates Revaluation

The most recent full revaluation of non-domestic properties in England took effect on 1 April 2026. This was only the second such revaluation since the introduction of the business rates system in its current form, making it a landmark event for property professionals and their clients.

The 2026 revaluation assessed more than 2 million properties using rental and capital values as of 1 April 2024. Across England, many businesses experienced significant changes—some benefiting from reduced assessments in weaker markets, others facing substantial increases in high-demand areas, particularly London and the South East.

The UK Government's official 2026 revaluation guidance on GOV.UK sets out the legal framework and timelines. Property owners have had formal appeal rights under the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) procedures, with deadlines and evidence requirements that have kept rates advisers busy throughout the spring and summer of 2026.

Why Business Rates Expertise Matters Now

The appointment of four senior advisers to Knight Frank's rates practice reflects several structural realities of the current commercial property market:

• Challenge volume and complexity: The April 2026 revaluation has triggered significant numbers of formal challenges. Property owners across all sectors are scrutinising their new assessments and engaging advisers to lodge appeals with the VOA if valuations appear inflated or fail to reflect market conditions.
• Relief eligibility: With economic pressures on retail and hospitality, many businesses qualify for discretionary relief, transitional relief, or other mitigation schemes. Specialist advisers help clients navigate eligibility criteria and application processes with HMRC and local authorities.
• Portfolio management: For large corporate occupiers and investment firms, business rates now represent a material operating cost. Multi-site businesses need strategic advisers to model scenarios, flag upcoming pressure points, and identify opportunities to optimise their rates position across holdings.
• Regulatory change risk: The government has signalled interest in further reforms to business rates from 2027 onwards, including potential moves toward more frequent revaluations. Advisers must keep clients informed of emerging policy.

The expansion of Knight Frank's team is a direct response to this elevated demand for expert guidance.

The Wider Competitive Landscape

Knight Frank's move is part of a broader industry trend. Other major consultancies—including Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, Savills, and Colliers—have similarly invested in their rates and cost advisory teams over 2024–2026, recognising that revaluation years generate spikes in billable work and client retention opportunities.

Smaller specialist firms focused solely on business rates have also reported strong pipelines. The competitive pressure to recruit and retain top talent in this niche—where technical knowledge of VOA procedures, valuation principles, and relief schemes is highly specialised—has driven salaries and benefits upwards.

Forward-Looking Analysis: What Comes Next?

Looking ahead to 2027–2029, several factors will shape demand for business rates advisory services:

Government Reform Signals

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated potential changes to the business rates system, though a formal consultation was not launched as of August 2026. Any reform—whether moving to more frequent revaluations, introducing new relief schemes, or adjusting the small business rate relief threshold—will require advisers to help clients understand and adapt to new rules.

Economic Sensitivity

Business rates are highly sensitive to economic cycles. If rental markets weaken across retail, hospitality, or office sectors in 2027–2028, property owners may face downward revaluations when the next cycle begins in 2029. Conversely, if investment activity and rental growth accelerate, rates bills could rise steeply. Advisers positioned to help clients model and stress-test their exposure will remain in demand.

Occupier Strategies

Post-pandemic workplace trends—hybrid working, smaller office footprints, consolidation of retail estates—mean that many occupiers are actively rethinking their property portfolios. Rates advisers who can integrate property strategy with cost planning and tax efficiency are increasingly valuable partners.

Regional Variation

The 2026 revaluation outcomes differed markedly by region. London and major commercial hubs saw continued strength; regional cities, smaller towns, and rural areas experienced more modest movements or declines. This geographical variation means advisers need local market knowledge and specialist networks to serve clients effectively. Knight Frank's multi-region platform is well-positioned to offer such coverage.

Implications for Startup and SME Founders

While Knight Frank's client base is typically large corporates and institutional investors, the business rates revaluation also directly affects startup founders and small business operators occupying commercial premises.

Founders relocating to new premises, expanding into additional units, or renewing occupancy agreements should prioritise understanding their rates liability. GOV.UK's business rates guidance for small businesses includes information on small business rate relief (SBRR), which exempts or discounts eligible properties with a rateable value below £12,000 across England (thresholds vary in Scotland and Wales).

For startups in higher-cost areas or those occupying premises with elevated rateable values, rates can represent a meaningful operational expense. Engaging a qualified adviser—whether a large firm like Knight Frank or a specialist rates consultant—to review an assessment and explore relief eligibility can yield significant savings and improve cash flow predictability during early growth phases.

Sourcing Rates Expertise: What to Look For

If you are a founder or business operator facing a new or changed business rates bill, consider these steps:

1. Obtain your assessment: Request a copy of your Valuation Office Agency assessment from your local authority or online via the VOA website. Review the property details, size estimate, and comparable evidence cited.
2. Understand appeal deadlines: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) sets strict timelines for formal challenges. After the April 2026 revaluation, businesses had a fixed window to submit initial challenges; missing deadlines can forfeit appeal rights.
3. Check relief eligibility: Visit GOV.UK or your local authority to confirm whether you qualify for small business rate relief, rural rate relief, discretionary relief, or transitional protections.
4. Engage an adviser if necessary: If your premises are large, your business is in multiple locations, or your rates bill has increased significantly, the cost of professional advice is often recouped through successful challenges or relief applications.

Conclusion: A Growing Specialist Sector

Knight Frank's appointment of four senior advisers to its business rates team is a bellwether for the health and dynamism of commercial property advisory services in the UK. It signals sustained client demand, confidence in the value of specialist expertise, and recognition that business rates will remain a material issue for occupiers, investors, and owners throughout the 2026–2029 cycle and beyond.

For founders and business operators, the takeaway is clear: if rates represent a significant cost, or if you have recently received a revaluation notice, it is worth investing time—and possibly professional fees—to ensure your position is sound. The investment can pay dividends in the form of lower bills, secured reliefs, or better-informed strategic planning as you scale your operation.

As the commercial property market continues to adapt to post-pandemic dynamics, changing work patterns, and evolving economic conditions, the demand for deep technical expertise in areas like business rates, tax efficiency, and occupier strategy is only likely to grow. Knight Frank's expansion is one visible manifestation of that broader shift.