WYM Rating

What WYM Rating does

WYM Rating is a specialist business rates consultancy founded in Edinburgh in 2012 as the rating division of Williams Young McKaig Ltd (trading as WYM Real Estate). The firm advises commercial property owners and occupiers across Scotland and the broader UK on business rates matters, with a service suite spanning business rates appeals, empty property rates mitigation, rates relief optimization, historic overpayment audits, strategic rates consultancy, and consolidated portfolio billing (for portfolios exceeding 50 properties). Engagements include representation at Local Valuation Appeal Panels and the Lands Tribunal. Co-founders Richard Williams, Don Young, and Billy McKaig — Chartered Surveyors with over 30 years of combined experience — lead client work, and the firm has been characterized as one of the largest Scottish independent business rates advisors since its formation.

The business operates as a traditional professional services firm with no proprietary technology platform, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; service delivery relies on senior practitioner expertise and direct client relationships. Its client base spans government bodies (NHS Highland, Scottish Enterprise), food and beverage (Walkers), aquaculture (Marine Harvest), professional services (Johnston Carmichael), and manufacturing (FMC). Pricing follows a freemium structure — free initial rateable value reviews with no upfront fees, followed by engagement-based professional service fees — and go-to-market is sales-led, relying on the founders' professional reputation, published case studies demonstrating specific rateable value reductions, and referrals from established relationships.

On 5 February 2026, Ryan — a global tax services and software provider — acquired Williams Young McKaig Ltd and its specialist division WYM Rating, establishing Ryan's property tax and business rates presence in Scotland and expanding its UK-wide capabilities. The three co-founders and their team continue operating from Edinburgh as part of Ryan's expanding UK property tax practice. The firm maintains offices in Edinburgh (headquarters at Merchants' Hall, 22 Hanover Street), Aberdeen (serving oil and gas sector clients), and London (180 Great Portland Street).

Name

WYM Rating

Legal name

Williams Young McKaig Ltd

Website

https://wymrating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Acquired

Short description

WYM Rating is a specialist UK business rates consultancy founded in Edinburgh in 2012, advising commercial property owners and occupiers on rates appeals, relief optimization, and audit recovery. Now part of Ryan's UK property tax practice following a February 2026 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Business Rates Advisory: WYM Rating provides professional consultancy services for business rates appeals, audits, relief optimization, and property rating advisory. The firm offers free initial reviews and advises clients on rates liability reduction. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for advisory work across business rates matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WYM Rating is a specialist business rates consultancy advising commercial property owners and occupiers across Scotland and the UK. Core services include business rates appeals (with representation at Local Valuation Appeal Panels and the Lands Tribunal), empty property rates mitigation, rates relief optimization, historic overpayment audits, strategic rates consultancy, and consolidated rates payment services for large portfolios. The firm offers free initial reviews with no upfront fees and is staffed by Chartered Surveyors with 30+ years of combined experience.

Product overview

WYM Rating is a specialist business rates consultancy offering a unified suite of advisory services for commercial property ratepayers across the UK. The core offering centers on Business Rates Appeals as the primary service, supported by complementary services including Empty Property Rates mitigation, Rates Relief optimization, Rates Audit for recovering overpayments, Rates Consultancy for strategic advisory, and Rates Payment Service for consolidated portfolio billing. All services are delivered by Chartered Surveyors with over 30 years of combined experience. Founded in 2012, the company operates as the specialist rating division of WYM Real Estate and was acquired by Ryan in February 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Rates Appeals

Quantifiable outcome

• Empty property rates solutions can generate savings of between 25% to 100%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Ryan: Parent company of WYM Rating since February 2026; a global tax services and software provider that acquired the firm to establish a UK property tax and business rates presence. Provides direct platform context for WYM Rating's scale, capabilities, and integration trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with UK rating advisory serving major occupiers. Adjacent peer given overlap on rates advisory for enterprise portfolios, though operating at significantly greater scale than WYM Rating.
• Avison Young: Global real estate advisory with UK rating services competing for the same commercial occupier mandates. Overlaps with WYM Rating on rates advisory but offers a much wider capital markets and investment advisory platform.
• Knight Frank: Global real estate consultancy with a UK rating advisory team serving commercial property owners. Comparable on rates advisory work, but operating as part of a much broader international property services business.
• CBRE: World's largest commercial real estate services firm with a UK rating advisory practice. Competes with WYM Rating on large-portfolio business rates mandates but offers an unrivalled global platform and proprietary technology investments.
• Lambert Smith Hampton: Major UK commercial real estate advisory offering business rates consultancy as part of a wider property services portfolio. Competes with WYM Rating on rates advisory but operates at much larger scale across agency, valuation, and investment.
• Bidwells: UK property consultancy with rating and business rates advisory capability serving commercial property clients. Comparable in scope of advisory services but broader in overall service portfolio than the specialist WYM Rating.

Direct peers

• Gerald Eve: Independent UK property consultancy with a strong business rates and rating advisory practice serving major commercial occupiers and investors. Comparable to WYM Rating in delivering specialist rates appeals and advisory alongside wider property services.
• Vail Williams: UK property consultancy providing business rates, agency, and building consultancy services to commercial property owners and occupiers. Directly comparable to WYM Rating as a UK-focused advisory firm with a specialist rates offering.
• Montagu Evans: UK chartered surveyors and property consultants with a rating advisory team handling business rates appeals, negotiations, and consultancy. Closely aligned with WYM Rating's professional services model and client base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 WYM Rating