Cushman & Wakefield’s Business Rates Team has been named Winner in the Non-Domestic Rate Category at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV) 2019 Awards.
The team was awarded the accolade at a ceremony held at the Telford International Centre on 9 October 2019.
The awards panel were looking for organisations to demonstrate they had excelled in the area of non-domestic rate. There needed to be evidence of innovation and enterprise demonstrated through improved and maintained performance.
The 35-strong Cushman & Wakefield Rating team, which is one of the largest and most experienced teams in the country, was recognised for its ability to offer bespoke strategies and solutions to reduce clients’ liabilities and a flexible service delivery model which has generated over £500 million of savings since 2010 on behalf of clients.
The team was also able to demonstrate innovation through its industry-first Rating App and Rating Portal and investment in its team which offers a variety of training programmes including graduate and apprenticeship schemes, MRICS and IRRV qualifications.
Mike Flecknoe, Partner in Cushman & Wakefield’s Business Rates team, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised by the IRRV and the award win is testament to the hard work of the whole team. We proactively look to reduce our clients’ rates liability not only through relief applications but also by rigorously pursuing rating appeals through the new Check, Challenge, Appeal process whenever appropriate. We seek to ensure we know of every saving opportunity that arises within a clients’ portfolio and each and every opportunity is pursued.”
Gary Watson, Deputy Chief Executive IRRV and IRRV Performance Awards Co-ordinator, said: “The IRRV Awards Panel were impressed by how Cushman & Wakefield had excelled in the area of Non-Domestic Rate. As part of the decision-making process, Cushman & Wakefield were expected to host a visit from an Inspection Team made up of experts in the field of Rating & Valuation. At this visit, they were required to make a presentation and answer a series of questions from the Inspection Team. Following the visit, the Inspection Team produced reports on each of their visits for the IRRV Awards Panel; this was to include a recommendation for a winner in the category. The Awards Panel were happy to accept the recommendation received.”
