Borders estate agency Paton & Co expands across Scotland with ‘strategic merger’

A Borders‑based estate agency and rural advisory firm has sealed what is being billed as a “strategic merger” that opens access to new markets across Scotland.

The move sees Paton & Co join forces with Peter Graham & Associates (PGA), creating a combined business that will operate across the Borders, Northumberland, the Highlands and north-east Scotland.

Bosses said the tie-up reflected growing demand from clients for integrated advisory services across wider geographies, particularly within rural, property and land-based sectors.

The team at Paton & Co.

The combined business will bring together a team of more than 20 professionals under the Paton & Co brand.

The merger also brings together three members of the same family, with Patrick Paton and his wife Celia joining forces with her father, Peter Graham, as partners in the business. Under the new structure, Peter, Patrick and Celia will each become partners in the combined business, alongside existing PGA partners Teresa Leith and Ed Dunbar and new partners Tamara Inness and Fiona MacLeod.

Patrick Paton, managing partner of Paton & Co, said: “This is a natural progression for us. We have built a strong presence in the Borders and Northumberland and this merger allows us to expand that reach while staying true to the way we work.

“For our clients, this is about access to a broader range of expertise while continuing to deal with the same trusted people. That continuity is critical, particularly for businesses that value long-term advisory relationships.”

Peter Graham, owner of Peter Graham & Associates, with offices in Elgin and the Black Isle, said: “Over the years there have been approaches from larger firms, but they don’t want me or my team - they want my clients, and that was never something I was prepared to accept.

“I wanted to find a way to transition the business that protected those relationships. My clients deserve better than being absorbed into a corporate model where the focus is on fees rather than the individual.

“This is about bringing together two businesses with the same ethos. We are not taking anything away - we are adding services and strengthening what we already do.”