Alex Lawson

The head of estates and farms at Savills believes there’s more to country property than meets the eye. ‘A lot of what we sell can be described as a business rather than just a property asset,’ Alex Lawson says. ‘There are a number of moving parts, and people and sentiment and emotions involved. So to put a bit of time and consideration into things beyond the financial is hugely important.’

Lawson has seen interest in rural land growing steadily. He believes estates are relatively insulated from economic cycles. He is rarely seen too far from the countryside, and according to a peer he has ‘an exceptional knowledge of the market, its idiosyncrasies and key players’.