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Specialist property and business consultancy GFW has entered 2026 with confidence, as activity gathers pace across the North East’s residential, development, commercial and rural sectors.
Following a year shaped by economic uncertainty and a delayed Government Budget, the firm says the outlook for the months ahead is far more positive, with clear signs of activity ramping up and clients moving forward with confidence.
As part of its continued investment, GFW has strengthened its senior team with two new appointments to kick off the year.
Alanzon Chan has joined the Planning, Architecture and Development team as Senior Planning Consultant, bringing extensive public sector experience from Cumbria County Council.
Peter Jones has also joined the business as Associate Building Surveyor, enhancing GFW’s integrated property offering.
GFW says the appointments reflect its commitment to expertise, client service and demand.
Alanzon said:
I’m delighted to have joined the GFW team, their ambition and how they integrate their services to provide the best solutions for their clients really attracted me to the role. I bring extensive planning experience from public sector which I know aligns with continued growth plans and even more opportunities to support clients.
Sally Hart, Managing Partner at GFW added:
It’s a fantastic to start the New Year welcoming new faces to the team, we have big plans for 2026 and both Alanzon and Peter bring a breath of experience to our team.
Lindsay French, Partner and Residential lead at GFW, said confidence is returning following a subdued end to 2025.
As we move into the early part of 2026, we’re seeing a noticeable uplift in activity.
With the Budget behind us and no major shocks emerging, buyers and sellers are re-engaging and momentum is building, particularly after Christmas.
Local knowledge and strong client service are more important than ever. Our role is to guide people through their decisions with clarity and confidence to get the best sale and find their dream homes. The reduction to interest rates will certainly boost this too for those who held off waiting to see if any of the Budget rumours around SDLT were true.
Richard Garland, Managing Partner at GFW, said:
We’re seeing real confidence also rising across planning, development and commercial markets.
Government ambition around housing delivery is certainly translating into real planning activity too.
We’re busy across a wide range of sites, from strategic land and Green Belt promotion to large-scale housing schemes. Planning is increasingly complex, but with the right expertise in place, clients can continue to accelerate plans.
Richard added that demand for GFW’s commercial services continues to grow, particularly as clients look for joined-up advice.
Clients are looking for cohesion across everything from commercial consultancy and surveying, to purchase, landlord and tenancy advice, to asset strategy. We’re the arm around the shoulder and strategic partner of our clients and further building out our team allows us to deliver even more of that holistic support.
GFW expects the first quarter of 2026 to be particularly busy for its rural team with increased demand for valuation work, strategic advice and succession planning, working collaboratively alongside solicitors, accountants and lenders to support clients through complex decisions.
Elliot Taylor, Partner and Rural team lead said:
Despite ongoing challenges such as volatile commodity prices, climate impacts and uncertainty around future support schemes, we are supporting our vast rural portfolio to navigate every obstacle and grab every opportunity. There were some green shoots in December with falling interest rates, continued infrastructure investment and demand for quality agricultural land, all helping to underpin confidence.
The key message for farming families is the importance of having a clear plan, Elliot added. Short-term pressures are unavoidable, but a longer-term view helps businesses de-risk, unlock opportunities and make the most of their assets. Our role is to support clients through change and help them move forward with as much clarity as possible.
As GFW looks ahead to the year, the firm says its focus remains firmly on people, expertise and long-term client relationships.
With renewed confidence across multiple sectors and an expanded team, GFW is hopeful that 2026 will be a year of momentum, opportunity and progress for clients across the North East and beyond.
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