Why timing is everything when it comes to selling

Following RWE’s decision to close two power stations in the South East of England it was our role to find a purchaser in a weak market.

Navigating narrow markets can be tough, so we worked collaboratively to find the best strategy that would maximise returns.

We were tasked with carrying out an analysis of uses and potential land value for each site.

It was important to secure the right deal for our clients. So, we looked at alternative land uses, carried out a detailed review of how to position the site and targeted our UK and global contacts.

We were tasked with bringing to the attention of clients 127 acres at RWE’s Tilbury site, in Essex and 150 acres at its Littlebrook site in Dartford, Kent. An informal tender process met client requirements for limited publicity.

In such a difficult market, it was important to sell at the right time to maximise returns.

At Tilbury we advised an early offer should not be accepted. Consequently, a considerable improvement of double the initial offer was achieved in the final deal.

At Littlebrook, we delayed until after markets had settled following the 2016 Brexit vote; a move that saw it sell at more than treble the book value.

Sale contracts were negotiated to extract our client from demolition risk and ongoing environmental liability.

The result more than delivered on the demands of our client and by working strategically we maximised returns. Working hand in hand, and taking a flexible approach to disposal we more than delivered on our clients’ brief.