Property experts to help you achieve your goals

Ben Cronan

Senior Surveyor

Ben is a Senior Surveyor at Aitchison Raffety, specialising in both the Agency and Lease Advisory departments. Based in our London West End office, he brings a wealth of experience to his role. Having joined the company at the beginning of 2024, Ben previously held positions at Colliers, where he progressed from a Placement Student to Senior Surveyor.

A Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), Ben successfully completed the Assessment of Professional Competence in 2019. With a diverse background in surveying, he has advised on a wide range of assets, with a focus on warehouse and trade counter units, offices, and retail. His expertise spans multiple disciplines, making him an asset to our team.

Francis Tomlinson

Director

Francis Tomlinson is Head of the Lease Advisory Division at Aitchison Raffety, and manages the company’s Hitchin Office. Francis has over 40 years’ experience as a qualified Chartered Surveyor, and has been in practice in North Hertfordshire, based in Hitchin for the last 38 years, originally as a Partner in Chancellors, followed by two years as a Regional Director for Hogg Robinson Property Services, and 20 years as a Director of Tomlinson Quin Ltd, before the merger of that company with Aitchison Raffety in 2009.

The Hitchin Office has been involved with commercial property, including both agency and landlord and tenant matters throughout the last 38 years. Francis acts both for landlords and tenants in lease renewal negotiations and rent review disputes, and also acts for both as an Independent Expert and as an Arbitrator (having been on the Panel of The President of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for over 25 years in each case). Francis acts for a wide range of clients including national and local property companies institutions and individuals, and multiple and sole traders, relative to shop, office, warehouse and industrial premises for the most part.

Georgia Strazza

Commercial Surveyor and Property Advisor

Georgia is a Commercial Surveyor and Property Advisor based at the St Albans office and joined Aitchison Raffety in July 2021 having graduated from Nottingham with a degree in Mathematics.

Georgia mainly deals with the sale and letting of all types of commercial property across Hertfordshire. She also works closely with the Lease Advisory team dealing with lease renewals and rent reviews for both landlords and tenants.

Ian Archer

Director

Ian is a commercial surveyor and Director based at the St Albans office but with responsibility for overseeing the Hemel Hempstead and Watford areas. He joined the company in 1988 and has over 30 years’ experience in commercial property disposals and acquisitions.

Ian is mainly involved in commercial agency and Landlord & Tenant matters with a geographic range including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Amersham, Chesham and surrounds. He is involved in sales, lettings and acquisitions of retail, office and industrial premises, and also involved in landlord and tenant matters such as rent reviews and lease renewals.

In addition, Ian has also provided advice on planning matters where commentary on the local market is required to assist planning applications.

 

Laurence Barton

Director

Laurence has over 30 years experience in the commercial property sector.  He set up his own property consultancy, Barton Rix, which was acquired by Aitchison Raffety in 2007.

As Head of Corporate Real Estate, Laurence advises major national and international companies on property matters ranging from simple lease negotiations to corporate relocations.  He also has expert knowledge in Landlord and Tenant dispute resolution matters with experience in arbitration and expert witness procedures.

 

Mark Bunting

Regional Director

Mark is Regional Director for Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas which is primarily a business development role building on a wide experience of property related work and in-depth knowledge of what Aitchison Raffety can bring to assist both existing and potential clients.

Previously, Mark has headed both the Commercial Agency and Lease Advisory Divisions at Aitchison Raffety as well as dealing with rating appeals, valuations and general property advice. Mark’s 30 years plus knowledge property started with a short spell in the VOA before moving to Hertfordshire in the mid 80s and opening the St Albans office of Aitchison Raffety in 1990.

His day to day work continues to include a variety of agency and professional work giving him one of the broadest spectrums of experience and expertise within our Group. This allows wide ranging advice to be given to clients, enabling potential problems within jobs to be identified and circumnavigated which may not be spotted by more specialised or less experienced advisors.

 

Paula Mace

Director, Head of Healthcare

Paula is a Director and Head of Healthcare here at Aitchison Raffety, one of the country’s leading experts on primary care centres and medical premises. Based out of the St Albans and London offices, she is responsible for the  healthcare team and services nationally.

Her role at Aitchison Raffety further encompasses strategic business planning, business development, risk management and quality control.

Paula joined the company in 2003 and has over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare sector having worked with many medical centres, surgeries, healthcare investors and funds across the country during this time.

Paula is recognised for her knowledge of healthcare property and extensive experience in the healthcare industry and provides a range of services, specialising in valuations for a variety of purposes including secured lending, partnership, accounts, portfolio, and court purposes for a range of clients from individual property owners and investors, to large portfolio investors with a considerable number of medical centres located nationwide. These services also include sale and leaseback, disposal and acquisition, and development work.

Paula is also involved in a variety of Landlord and Tenant work, acting in relation to rent reviews and lease renewal negotiations, dispute resolution, CMR appeals, as well as pharmacy, dental, and other types of clinic/medical rent reviews and lease renewals. She has significant experience as an Expert Witness in relation to rent review and lease renewal disputes including the PACT process.

As well as being a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Paula also qualified as an Independent Expert in 2017 and is a member of the RICS panel of Independent Experts.

Paula’s experience has given her unrivalled knowledge of the healthcare sector and best practices in the industry. She has developed an extensive network of established contacts and relationships which aid her in offering the most refined and bespoke service possible to clients.

Qualifications:  MRICS