Property consultants, Savills Ireland, were the most active real estate investments agency in Northern Ireland in 2013, according to Estates Gazette. The property publication’s ‘Deals Competition’ compiled the number of transactions completed by agents between 1st January and 31st December 2013. Savills headed off competition from Osborne King and BTW Shiells who were 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Commenting on the results, Ben Turtle, Director of Investments at Savills Northern Ireland said, “It was a very busy year for us and I am delighted that our work has been recognised through the Estates Gazette Deals Competition. 2013 marked a new beginning in the Northern Irish investment market with a significant increase in business and consumer confidence, which led to a wide variety of new purchasers entering the market”.

Looking ahead, Turtle expects this momentum to continue; “We are already aware of £100m of stock scheduled to come to market in the first half of the year, and with economic conditions improving, we predict that transactional activity will increase this year with volumes exceeding £200m.”

Some notable transactions handled by the investments team at Savills NI in 2013 included the purchase of the Tesco Extra Foodstore in Newry, which achieved a price in excess of £30m and James House, Belfast which sold for over £10m.

It is the second year running that Savills has been recognised by Estates Gazette. Last year they were named the most active retail estate agency in Northern Ireland.