Two major UK property agencies have strengthened their research arms with senior appointments. BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker named new heads of research this week, reflecting continued demand for specialist market intelligence across commercial and residential sectors.
The moves come as investors and occupiers grapple with shifting economic conditions, rising interest rates and evolving demand patterns across property markets.
- BNP Paribas Real Estate appointed Rebecca Shafran as head of commercial research
- Strutt & Parker named Jason Beedell head of residential and rural research
- Both will lead dedicated research teams serving clients across their respective sectors
- Shafran brings over 20 years' experience in real estate research and strategy
- Beedell has spent nearly a decade with Strutt & Parker as a rural market commentator
Why Research Arms Are Getting Bigger
The logic here is straightforward: property decisions carry big price tags and long time horizons. Clients want fewer surprises.
Shafran's brief at BNP Paribas Real Estate covers commercial sectors, where she has already spent several years building the firm's capabilities in alternatives—student accommodation, hotels, healthcare, care homes and retirement living. These segments have attracted growing capital as traditional office and retail assets face uncertainty.
Beedell's focus at Strutt & Parker centres on rural property, agriculture and land use policy. His commentary on the rural economy has built a following among landowners and agricultural investors tracking policy shifts that affect asset values.
Both agencies frame these as strategic hires, not administrative ones. The research function is positioned as a client-facing tool—delivering market intelligence, shaping thought leadership and informing investment decisions, not just compiling reports for internal use.
Who Feels This Most
Institutional investors, property funds and large occupiers will notice the shift first. When a firm like BNP Paribas Real Estate puts a named senior figure behind its commercial research output, that research carries more weight with clients making allocation decisions.
For smaller operators and individual investors, the practical impact is indirect. You may not deal directly with these teams, but their analysis often filters through to market reports, sector forecasts and investment theses that shape broader industry thinking.
The commercial sector is where this matters most right now. Office occupiers are still working through hybrid patterns. Industrial logistics demand has plateaued after years of growth. Retail is recovering unevenly. Investors navigating these conditions need sharper intelligence than generic market headlines provide.
Say you are weighing a mixed-use development in the South East. Shafran's team publishes a note flagging softening demand in suburban office markets while alternative sectors like retirement living show tightening supply. That granular view could reshape your underwriting assumptions.
What to Watch Next
The test will be output. Both appointments signal ambition on research quality. Whether that translates into more frequent, more detailed and more commercially relevant publications remains to be seen.
Watch whether BNP Paribas Real Estate expands its alternatives coverage under Shafran's leadership. Watch whether Strutt & Parker's rural research becomes more quantitative—land values and yield data, not just policy commentary.
For readers following UK property markets, these hires suggest the agencies expect clients to demand more granular sector intelligence, not less, as economic conditions stay uncertain.
Key takeaways
- BNP Paribas Real Estate and Strutt & Parker have both appointed senior research heads, signalling stronger emphasis on market intelligence
- Commercial property investors should track whether expanded research leads to more detailed sector coverage, particularly in alternatives
- Rural and residential clients can expect deeper policy and market analysis from Strutt & Parker's enhanced research function
- Quality research increasingly differentiates agencies in a crowded market; watch for measurable output under these appointments
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new head of commercial research at BNP Paribas Real Estate?
Rebecca Shafran was appointed head of commercial research at BNP Paribas Real Estate. She joined the firm in 2019 and has over 20 years of experience in real estate research and strategy.
What sectors did Rebecca Shafran help develop at BNP Paribas Real Estate?
According to the firm, Shafran played a key role in growing research capabilities across alternative sectors including student accommodation, hotels, healthcare, care homes and retirement living.
Who leads research at Strutt & Parker?
Jason Beedell was named head of residential and rural research at Strutt & Parker. He has been with the agency since 2016 and is known for commentary on rural property, agriculture and land use policy.
Why are property agencies investing more in research teams?
As economic conditions shift and occupier demand evolves, clients need sharper intelligence to inform investment and leasing decisions. Agencies are positioning research as a strategic client service rather than an internal function.
How might these appointments affect property investors?
Institutional and commercial investors who work with these agencies may gain access to more detailed market intelligence. Individual investors can follow the published output to inform their own analysis of commercial and rural property markets.
