What John Clegg & Co does

John Clegg & Co is a UK specialist forestry and woodland property advisory firm founded in 1967, operating as a trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited under the Strutt & Parker brand following BNP Paribas's 2017 acquisition of Strutt & Parker. The firm delivers four core service lines — sales and acquisitions of woodland and forestry properties, RICS Red Book-compliant valuations, forestry and asset management, and investment advisory services including cashflow analysis and acquisition support — complemented by ancillary offerings such as natural capital accounts (developed since 2019 with eftec environmental economists), timber sales marketing, new planting and grant advisory, long-term forest plans, ArcGIS-based mapping and surveying, and professional services including arbitration and expert witness work. The client base spans private woodland owners, traditional rural estates, institutional and private investment funds, state forestry services, and forestry processors, with the firm reporting that hundreds of woodland properties are sold, acquired or valued annually and that Scotland holds roughly 78% of UK recorded forestry sales.

Revenue mechanics combine transaction commissions on property and timber sales, professional services fees for valuation and advisory mandates, and timber sales supervision fees (marketed through the TimberAuctions.co.uk platform). GTM is sales-led via a UK-wide team of Chartered Surveyors and Chartered Foresters operating from Edinburgh (Scotland operations) and connected to the London BNP Paribas Real Estate headquarters, with a digital layer (website, Twitter, LinkedIn, newsletter, annual Forest Market Report) supporting thought leadership and inbound valuation bookings.

The firm has an 11-50 headcount footprint and is wholly owned by BNP Paribas Group, with the parent providing access to global clients, macro intelligence, and financial services products. Competitive positioning rests on 50+ years of specialist brand equity, dual-qualified Chartered Surveyor / Chartered Forester talent, RICS regulatory standing, independence from any timber processing organisation, and the BNP Paribas distribution infrastructure. Technology differentiation is modest: ArcGIS for digital mapping and a co-developed natural capital accounting collaboration are the main proprietary features.

Name

John Clegg & Co

Legal name

John Clegg & Co (trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited)

Website

https://johnclegg.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Clegg & Co is a UK specialist forestry and woodland property advisory firm, founded in 1967 and operating under BNP Paribas Real Estate, serving private owners, rural estates, institutional investors, and government forestry agencies with sales, valuations, asset management, and natural capital services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry & Woodland Real Estate Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (11311), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Forestry (800), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Brokerage & Acquisition/Disposition Advisory (AFAMAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Asset Management (Institutional/Private) (AFAMAKAA), Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI), Real Assets — Timberland & Forestry (FSAHAIAJ), Ranches & Livestock Properties Brokerage (BPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Forestry management services
• Woodland property sales
• Timber sales supervision
• Forestry valuation services
• Natural capital accounting

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Forestry Sales Commission: Commission-based revenue from the sale of woodland and forestry properties. The company sells all types of woodland and forestry properties with specialist agents providing nationwide coverage.
2. Professional Services: Fees for valuation services (RICS 'Red Book Valuations'), forestry and asset management advice, investment analysis, and professional services including negotiations, arbitration, and expert witness work.
3. Timber Sales Supervision: Timber sales marketing and supervision services on behalf of landowners, operating independently of any processing organisation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

John Clegg & Co is a specialist UK forestry and woodland property firm that sells, acquires, values, and manages woodlands on behalf of private owners, rural estates, institutional investors, government agencies, and timber processors. Its core offerings include forestry sales and acquisitions, RICS-compliant valuations, investment analysis and asset management, timber sales supervision, new planting advice, long-term forest plans, and natural capital accounts produced in partnership with environmental economists.

Product overview

John Clegg & Co operates as a single unified offering—specialist forestry and woodland property services—rather than a modular platform. The core portfolio consists of four primary service lines: Forestry Sales (selling and acquiring woodland properties), Forestry & Asset Management (ongoing management and timber sales), Investment Services (investment analysis and property acquisition), and Valuation (RICS-compliant forestry and woodland valuations). Supporting these are ancillary services including Natural Capital Accounts (natural capital asset assessment), New Planting, Long Term Forest Plans, Grants & Support, Mapping & Surveying using ArcGIS, and Professional Services. The company was established in 1967 and is part of Strutt & Parker, a trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forestry Sales Selling and acquiring woodland and forestry properties throughout the UK, with specialist agents providing nationwide coverage for all types of woodland and forestry transactions. Aimed at private owners, estates, and institutional investors.
• Forestry & Asset Management Ongoing forestry and asset management advice for forest investments, including liaison between owners and local land managers and timber sales supervision.
• Investment Services Forestry investment analysis, cashflow appraisals, and acquisition services including identification of suitable investment properties, valuation, and advice through the purchase process.
• Valuation RICS Valuation Standards (Red Book) compliant forestry and woodland valuations for acquisition, sale, government accounts, family transfers, probate, tax planning, and portfolio valuations.
• Natural Capital Accounts Baseline and future natural capital accounts measuring and valuing natural capital assets for farms and estates, produced in collaboration with eftec to help landowners identify income streams from ecosystem services including carbon credits.
• Timber Sales Marketing and sale of timber on behalf of landowners, with the team marketing tens of thousands of tonnes annually, operating independently of any timber processing organisation.
• New Planting Advice on new woodland and forest planting, including guidance on substantial government grants available for creating timber resources, meeting climate targets, and improving habitats.
• Long Term Forest Plans Preparation of Long Term Forest Plans required for accessing forest management support, grants, and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) certification.
• Mapping & Surveying Digital mapping and surveying services using ArcGIS software for forest databases, maps, and recording locations and details of endangered species.
• Professional Services Negotiations for access rights, wayleaves, windfarms, radio masts, leases, compensation claims, arbitration services, and expert witness services.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• eftec (Economics for the Environment Consultancy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2020Strutt & Parker (parent company of John Clegg & Co) collaborates with eftec, market-leading environmental economists, to produce natural capital accounts for farms and estates across Great Britain. The collaboration enables measurement and valuation of natural capital assets, helping landowners identify income streams through ecosystem services such as carbon credits. The partnership began in 2019 and has already produced accounts for large private estates.
• BNP Paribas Real EstatecoreOthersJohn Clegg & Co is part of Strutt & Parker, a trading style of BNP Paribas Real Estate Advisory & Property Management UK Limited, which is part of the global BNP Paribas Group. This provides the company with access to global clients, macro intelligence, and financial services and products. BNP Paribas Real Estate employs 5,400 people across 36 countries and generated €1.01bn revenues in 2019.
• TimberAuctions.co.ukminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJohn Clegg & Co uses the TimberAuctions.co.uk online platform as part of their timber sales marketing services, providing access to a wider audience for timber sales. The company operates independently of any processing organisation.
• Ecosystems Knowledge NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Clegg & Co and Strutt & Parker were headline sponsors of the Accelerating Woodland Creation & Management Conference 2021, organized by Ecosystems Knowledge Network, a charity specializing in bringing professionals together across sectors for environmental wellbeing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• FIM Services: UK forestry investment advisory previously founded and led by John Clegg & Co's current Head of Forestry UK. Direct comparable in the institutional forestry investment advisory niche.

Broad incumbents

• Bidwells: Large UK property consultancy with a dedicated rural and forestry team covering estate management, valuations and agency across England and Scotland. Wider portfolio than John Clegg & Co but directly comparable on woodland transactions.
• Savills: Global real estate advisor with a significant UK rural and forestry practice. Competes with John Clegg & Co on estate sales, valuations and investment advisory at the upper end of the rural market.
• Knight Frank: International property consultancy with UK rural and estates capability. Comparable as a broader incumbent with a forestry-adjacent practice serving institutional and private rural estate clients.
• Cushman & Wakefield (UK Rural / Forestry): Global commercial real estate services firm with UK rural valuation and advisory capability. Comparable as a wider incumbent offering forestry-related services as part of a broader property platform.

Others

• Woodland Trust: UK's largest woodland conservation charity. Comparable as a forestry ecosystem participant — not a commercial competitor but a major counterparty influencing the UK forestry market and a source of grant-funded planting projects.

Direct peers

• Carter Jonas: UK property consultancy with a dedicated rural and forestry team providing estate management, agency, valuation and forestry investment advice. Closely comparable in size and service mix to John Clegg & Co.
• Scottish Woodlands Ltd: Major Scottish forestry manager providing forest management, harvesting, woodland creation and agency services. Closely comparable as a UK-focused forestry specialist with overlapping service lines including timber sales and investment support.
• Gresham House Forestry: Institutional forestry investment manager — previously the employer of John Clegg & Co's Head of Forestry UK (Edward Daniels). Competes for institutional forestry mandates and is a natural counterparty for many of the same investor clients.
• Tilhill Forestry (UPM Tilhill): UK's largest forestry and woodland management company, offering timber harvesting, forest management, woodland creation and carbon services. Direct competitor to John Clegg & Co across both agency/valuation work and asset management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/johncleggwoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-clegg-&-co

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 John Clegg & Co