Record £15.5m turnover for Manchester property investors Knight Knox

Property investment firm Knight Knox has reported a record turnover of £15.5m

The Manchester-based company, which provides buy-to-let developments for the private investor market, saw its revenue leap year on year by £2m during 2015/16.

Attributing the growth to increased investor appetite in the run up to April’s introduction of the stamp duty levy and a resilient market following Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the business has also expanded its workforce.

Knight Knox now employs a team of 65, with plans in the pipeline to grow that number before the end of the year.

Andy Phillips, the company’s commercial director, said: “The sustained growth we’ve experienced in the face of potential threats to buy-to-let is outstanding and just goes to show the buoyancy of the market.

“We witnessed significant demand from investors in the months running up to April when the three per cent stamp duty levy came into effect.”

He continued: “However, they don’t seem to have been deterred by it, because, even with the political uncertainty surrounding Brexit, sales have been encouraging over the last six months.

“The private rented sector is taking off due to house price rises and we’ve been able to source investment opportunities that complement this, so we’re remaining very optimistic.”

Knight Knox delivers both new-build and refurbishment projects with four developers – Fortis Developments, X1, Crossbow Investments and Forshaw Land & Property Group.

To date, the firm has launched more than 70 buy-to-let schemes across the UK, with a total development value of more than £780m. Its portfolio includes the £25m X1 The Campus development in Salford.

Knight Knox has also partly attributed its sales success to the introduction of investor seminars. First launched in 2016, the company has since held sales events in Liverpool, Manchester and Hong Kong.

Andy said: “Our investor events have proven to be a huge hit both internationally and closer to home, and this is just one of the ways we’re investing significantly in our future to facilitate further growth.”