Member Interview: The LPF in Conversation with Justin Sullivan, Founder & CEO, Adair
1.) Good morning, welcome to the Luxury Property Forum! How long has Adair been around for? And who founded it?
I founded Adair over 25 years ago. From an early age I always knew I would run my own practice one day out of a desire to ‘shake up the status quo’…
Justin Sullivan, Founder & CEO at Adair
2.) What services do you provide?
We are an independent multi-disciplinary property and construction consultancy and act as quantity surveyors, project surveyors and monitoring surveyors for projects across all construction sectors. We have a dedicated team of building surveyors and I also head up the dispute resolution team in our Mayfair office. We have an extensive client base, wide ranging from private individuals, banks, private equity funds, solicitors to family offices, developers, contractors and trusts. We work with clients from all over the UK, Europe and world-wide.
3.) Can you tell us a little about a recent Quantity Surveying project Adair has completed in the UK?
We have been very lucky to have worked on some wonderful projects in the UK. One residential project in Belgravia stands out, Cadogan Place….we provided cost consultancy and quantity surveying services for a beautiful development of three listed, terraced properties which were substantially altered and extended. Sub-basements were added to the building in addition to an extensive Mansard roof extension – ultimately resulting in three super prime residences.
4.) Can you share a successful Project Management case study with us?
We have carried out a number of high end residential developments internationally. One of these projects that I had the pleasure of working on was a large private site located in a prestigious residential area of Gibraltar…as project managers we liaised with the local government to ensure a smooth and successful planning process and worked with the statutory authorities to ensure any site related issues did not hinder project progress. In addition to the brief we tested the international market to ensure that the finished design would maximize the value of the completed project. The result was a simply beautiful house.
5.) What sets Adair’s team apart from other Chartered Surveyors/Construction Consultants?
The Adair team are agile and flexible and they take the time to understand each client as an individual and provide them with tailored solutions. They are genuinely passionate about providing an honest and credible consultancy which supports clients to achieve outstanding results on their projects. A simple phrase ‘client relationship focused’ is core to how we operate.
6.) Why is property industry networking important to you?
It is important to meet and mix with like-minded people and to form relationships. I 100% believe in the power of networking and in fact started a property networking event some years back – it has a brand name of its own and has been tremendously successful.
7.) When you’re not busy working, where can you be found?
The pub! Or in a curry restaurant or in my kitchen cooking a curry (ha ha)
8.) What does luxury mean to you?
For me luxury is all about the quality of the build, the location of a home…the construction materials and finishes – all must be a cut above what’s considered standard. My thing is standards!
9.) What is the best advice you have even been given?
If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t!
To find out more about Adair, please visit adair.co.uk