What Clarke & Simpson does

Clarke & Simpson is an independent firm of Chartered Surveyors, estate agents, and auctioneers headquartered in Framlingham, Suffolk, founded in 1952. The firm operates three integrated business lines: an Estate Agency covering residential sales and lettings, commercial property, and block/property management; a Rural Consultancy and Valuations practice covering estate management across England and Scotland, agricultural tenancies, planning, and compulsory purchase; and an Auction Centre based at the 11-acre, six-saleroom Campsea Ashe site, conducting weekly Monday sales of 1,200-1,500 lots across Fine Art & Interiors, Machinery, Militaria, and Rural Bygones categories. It also maintains a London office to extend service reach beyond East Anglia.

The firm operates its own proprietary online bidding platform and distributes live and timed auctions through The Saleroom and iBidder, reaching bidders across more than 60 countries. The team comprises multiple MRICS, FAAV, and FARLA-qualified chartered surveyors plus viewing representatives, trainees, and apprentices. Operational licences include Client Money Protection certification, GDPR compliance, and registered firearms dealer status for the Militaria auction vertical.

The business model combines transactional commission revenue and recurring management fees. Estate agency revenue is generated through sales commissions and lettings/management fees on residential and commercial property. Rural consultancy earns fees on estate management mandates, RICS Red Book valuations, planning, and compulsory purchase work. The Auction Centre monetises through a 17.5% (+VAT) seller's commission, a 22% (+VAT) buyer's premium, and an internet surcharge of 3% on the firm's own platform and 5% on third-party platforms such as The Saleroom and iBidder, with seller commission negotiable for higher-value consignments.

Name

Clarke & Simpson

Legal name

Clarke and Simpson Auctions Ltd.

Website

https://clarkeandsimpson.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clarke & Simpson is an independent Suffolk-based firm of Chartered Surveyors, estate agents, and auctioneers (founded 1952) operating estate agency, rural consultancy, and an 11-acre auction centre serving residential, commercial, and landed-estate clients across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate and Auction Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210), Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (53132)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Auction Services (FSAEAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ), Machinery & Equipment / FF&E Valuation (for Real Estate Context) (BPAJAKAH), Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal Advisory (FSAEAJAI), Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Estate agency services
• Rural chartered surveyors
• Property auctions
• Land and farm agency
• Estate management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission - Sellers: Vendors pay 17.5% plus VAT commission plus £2.00 lot fee per lot for Weekly & Special Auctions. Machinery auctions use a sliding scale fee structure.
2. Buyer's Premium: 22% plus VAT of hammer price payable by buyers, with additional internet surcharges of 3-5% depending on platform used
3. Property Sales & Lettings: Residential and commercial property sales and lettings management services across Suffolk
4. Rural Consultancy & Valuations: Professional management advice for farmers and landowners on rural property matters, including valuations and estate management
5. Valuation Services: RICS compliant valuations for antiques, fine art, collectables, household contents, plant and machinery for probate, IHT, matrimonial, insurance purposes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clarke & Simpson is an independent firm of Chartered Surveyors providing residential and commercial estate agency, lettings and management, land and farm agency, rural consultancy, RICS-compliant valuations, development and strategic land advisory, estate management, and auctioneering services. Its auction division operates from an 11-acre Suffolk Auction Centre running weekly Monday Sales, Fine Art & Interiors auctions, Machinery auctions, Militaria/Firearms auctions, and Rural Bygones auctions, sold live in-room and online via its own platform plus The Saleroom and iBidder.

Product overview

Clarke & Simpson operates a diversified property and auction business offering estate agency services (residential sales, commercial property, lettings, and land agency), rural consultancy, estate management, and a comprehensive auction service. The auction division includes weekly Monday Sales (1,200–1,500 lots), Fine Art & Interiors auctions, Machinery auctions, Militaria auctions, and Rural Bygones auctions, all conducted both live in-room and online. The company operates its own online auction platform alongside third-party platform integrations (The Saleroom, iBidder). Professional services include RICS-compliant valuations across antiques, art, and machinery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Sales & Property Auctions Estate agency service for selling homes in Suffolk, including traditional sales and online property auctions to maximize sale outcomes for vendors.
• Residential Lettings & Management Letting and management service for residential properties throughout Suffolk and beyond, handling tenant finding, rent collection, and property maintenance.
• Commercial Sales, Lettings & Management Specialized service for commercial property transactions including sales, lettings, and management of retail, office, and industrial properties in Suffolk.
• Development & Strategic Land Advisory and agency service for development projects from single building plots to large strategic land sites, covering pre-planning through to sale.
• Rural Consultancy & Valuations Professional management advice for farmers and landowners covering all aspects of rural property, including agricultural and environmental matters.
• Land & Farm Agency Specialized service for the sale, purchase, and letting of farms and agricultural land in and around Suffolk.
• Estate Management Comprehensive management of commercial and private estates across England and Scotland, handling maintenance, tenant relations, and financial administration.
• The Monday Sale (Weekly Country Auction) Weekly country auction held nearly every Monday featuring 1,200 to 1,500 lots across three salerooms, with live in-person and online bidding attracting over 500 online bidders from more than 50 countries.
• Machinery Auctions Auction service for vintage and modern agricultural machinery and plant, recognized as one of Suffolk's leading auctioneers in this category.
• Fine Art & Interiors Auctions Specialist auctions featuring antiques, fine art, decorative art, and 20th-century designs such as Lalique glass, Clarice Cliff pottery, and antique silver, with global online participation from over 70 countries.
• Militaria, Airguns & Firearms Consultancy Specialist consultancy and auction service for militaria items, airguns, firearms, bladed weapons, and antique firearms, provided by a registered firearms dealer with nearly 50 years of experience.
• Rural Bygones Auctions Popular auctions featuring eclectic items from bygone eras including vintage tools, butter churns, enamel signs, stationary engines, and classic vehicles.
• Clarke & Simpson Online Auction Platform Proprietary online auction system operated by Clarke & Simpson offering live and timed auctions with reduced buyer charges (3% internet surcharge) compared to third-party platforms.
• Valuation Services RICS-compliant valuations for antiques, fine art, collectables, household contents, and machinery, offered for probate, inheritance tax, insurance, matrimonial, and partnership purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global reach to 60+ countries through online auctions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The SaleroomcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party online auction platform partner enabling global bidding. Platform charges 5% internet surcharge plus VAT on hammer price. Provides access to their bidder network.
• iBiddercoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party online auction platform partner providing live online auction access. Platform charges 5% internet surcharge plus VAT on hammer price.
• MailboxesminorOthersRecommended shipping provider for auction buyers. Contact: 01206 368881 / 01473 218637 / [email protected]
• Jentel PackingminorOthersRecommended packing and shipping service for auction purchases. Contact: 01268 776777 / [email protected]

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cheffins: Cambridge-based chartered surveyors and auctioneers operating a similar hybrid model combining estate agency, rural consultancy and a major auction centre (including machinery and fine art). Closely comparable in service mix and East Anglian footprint.
• Dreweatts: UK fine art and general auction house with live and online bidding capabilities. Directly comparable on auction product (fine art, interiors, country house sales) and use of third-party online platforms.
• Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers: Essex/Hertfordshire-based fine art auction house running timed online and live sales. Comparable in auction product breadth and online distribution strategy.
• Ibbett Robbemtson: Kent-based chartered surveyors, estate agents and auctioneers offering residential sales, lettings, commercial, rural and auction services — very similar multi-line chartered surveyor model in the South East.
• Lambert & Foster: Kent/Sussex chartered surveyors and auctioneers with rural consultancy, estate management and livestock/machinery auctions. Highly comparable on rural and auction services.
• Husseys: Suffolk-based auctioneers running weekly country sales, fine art and machinery auctions with live and online bidding — directly comparable auction product and geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Brown & Co: East Anglia-focused rural property consultancy, estate agency and farm business advisor. Comparable on rural agency and consultancy, though without the auction-centre scale.

Broad incumbents

• Savills: Global real estate advisory with significant rural, residential and auction-adjacent operations in the UK. Overlaps on residential sales, rural consultancy and estate management at much larger scale.
• Strutt & Parker: National UK firm (now part of BNP Paribas) with deep rural, estate agency and estate management franchises. Comparable on rural/estate services, though focused less on chattel auctions.
• Bonhams: Global fine art and collectables auction house with a UK saleroom network. Overlaps on the Fine Art & Interiors and militaria/collectables auction product, though operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/candsauctions

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clarke & Simpson