Overview and key points
Founded in 1987 by Gary Thomson, The Clyde Property Group has grown into Scotland’s largest independent estate agency business. When the company received an acquisition approach, Gary Thomson turned to his Partners& team, led by Linsey Barron, for trusted guidance.
Supported by our in-house mergers and acquisitions specialists, and the strength of our ecosystem partnerships, we brought together specialist advice across insurance, wealth planning and financial leadership to help realise the full value of the business and navigate a successful exit.
Key takeaways
- Long-term relationship built on trust, supporting a confidential acquisition and founder-led exit
- Confidentiality protecting intellectual property and commercially sensitive information
- Seamless collaboration across the Partners& ecosystem, including introductions to Fabric and The CFO Centre
- Support to prepare the business for an extensive and intensive due diligence exercise
- Insurance programme strengthened, consolidated and optimised
- Successful sale with ongoing private client and transitional support
Challenge
After nearly four decades leading Clyde Property Group, a potential buyer made an offer to acquire the business. Bound by strict confidentiality Gary needed to pull together the best possible team to help navigate every step in this highly sensitive process; from protecting commercial and personal information, along with intellectual property, to ensuring the business was financially, operationally and structurally ready for acquisition including detailed due diligence.
Like many founders, Gary was also carrying the emotional weight of an exit. With limited people to confide in, the challenge was not only commercial, but personal: how to preserve the legacy and value of a business built over four decades.
Support
As trusted advisers to Clyde Property Group, we knew that this moment required more than a traditional insurance response. Before any sensitive information was shared, our team encouraged Gary to pause and carefully consider the strength of the Partners& ecosystem. We introduced him to Tim O’Connor at Fabric, to support Gary in preparing the business for exit while also advising on personal wealth strategy and planning, and to Richard Beastell at The CFO Centre, to strengthen financial governance and prepare the company for sale.
As a long-standing client, Clyde Property Group had previously benefited from a comprehensive review of its risk and insurance programme, spanning property, fleet, liability, and people. Through detailed portfolio analysis and specialist estate agency wordings, our advisers consolidated cover into a single policy, delivering meaningful cost efficiencies while maintaining robust, acquisition ready protection.
As Gary progressed through the sale of the business, elements of the insurance programme were reviewed and restructured to facilitate appropriate run-off arrangements for specific covers, including professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance following completion of the transaction.
Throughout the journey, our team acted as the central coordinator, aligning ecosystem partners, maintaining strict confidentiality and ensuring Gary had access to the right expertise at every stage.
Perform
The transaction progressed into an exceptionally detailed due diligence phase. As a result of the early preparation and joined-up support across the Partners& ecosystem, Clyde Property Group met each stage of the process with confidence and on schedule.
Financial structures, governance arrangements and insurance protections stood up to the challenge, helping to maintain momentum through a demanding process. Fabric worked closely alongside Gary throughout negotiations, providing both technical expertise and trusted personal support at a time when decision-making could not be shared widely. In parallel, The CFO Centre worked week-by-week with the management team to ensure the business was presented in the strongest possible financial position.
The result was a successful sale, and genuine peace of mind for Gary, who has since said that without the right advisers around him, he would likely have walked away from the deal altogether.
Following completion of the deal, we continue to support Gary with his personal assets and future investments remain protected by our team.
Supporting every stage
Our goal is to support clients through every stage of their business lifecycle – from start-up and scale-up, through maturity and ultimately exit.
To be trusted with the entire journey is a privilege, and guiding Clyde Property Group through its most defining moment is a powerful example of the value created through partnership.
“It’s a real privilege to support clients through every stage of their business lifecycle. By working closely with trusted ecosystem partners, we’re able to bring the right expertise around the table at critical moments and deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients when it matters most.” – Linsey Barron, Managing Partner, Scotland.
“The advice and professionalism provided by the entire team was crucial to the sale concluding. Having never sold a business before, I entered this not knowing what was fully required, but very quickly realised that I needed a team of ‘advisers’ around me to pull together and coordinate all relevant information and diligence. The team that Linsey introduced was nothing short of exceptional and the sale would certainly not have gone through without their ‘hands on’ guidance and direction. Having ran the business for four decades, the lines between personal and commercial get blurred and the team were always there, day and night, to keep me focused on what was required. It feels like a small gesture, but once again thank you to Linsey and the rest of the team, as I would not be where I am today without you.”
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