Cadell

In the art world, everyone presents themselves as offering independent advice.

Yet introductory commissions and broking private sales are the industry norm, and the individuals engaged in these practices will always have a financial interest in the outcome of the advice they are giving.

Cadell never brokers private sales, nor does it accept introductory commissions from auction houses.

We are simply paid a pre-agreed fee by our clients.

The aim of auction houses, dealers and brokers is to gain and maintain a monopoly on each and every sale.

As ‘trusted advisers’, their advice will invariably be: ‘trust us, sell everything, sell now and whatever you do, don’t call anyone else’, as this will result in them achieving higher margins.

However, many factors will impact on the outcome of a sale, and they all have to be carefully and objectively considered.

For example: timing and location; the use of private treaty sales; guarantees; and above all the choice of auction house (sector performance can vary significantly) all have a significant impact.

Cadell focuses solely on the interests of the client, and has developed a structured and transparent process, designed to expand the number of options and reveal the best one.

This allows us to provide our clients with new and enhanced ways of managing the risks that are inherent in the art market, whilst maximising their returns.

At Cadell, we believe that it is extremely important to spend time with families to fully understand their situation, and to engage with all parties to build consensus as to the best way forward.

Whilst there may be pressure from sales channels to make decisions quickly, we usually advise our clients to take their time, as it’s critical to understand the family’s priorities around the key issues: estate planning; liquidity requirements; which works to keep, sell or lend.

Once there is alignment and confidence in the best options, projects tend to progress much more smoothly.

Cadell has developed a strong capability at providing art wealth planning which is highly valued by private client advisers and trustees.

As the fashion for collecting grows, so has the practice of offering secondary works at masterpiece-level prices.

Unlike the housing market, where surveys, searches, contracts and lawyers are always involved, due diligence when buying art is rarely undertaken.

At Cadell we offer a fast and effective series of checks, so that a trustee, lawyer or direct client can quickly and discreetly obtain clarity relating to the provenance and value of the art they are about to purchase.

This work is undertaken by one of our experienced experts and is turned around within 48 hours.

Cadell’s team offers unmatched expertise across all disciplines and sectors.

For each art market sector there’s a world-class specialist, most of whom are former Dept Heads at Christie’s or Sotheby’s.

Cadell covers 27 different markets including: Impressionist & Modern, Post-War and Contemporary, Old Masters, German Expressionism, Modern British, Latin American art and Jewellery.

The project management and research team is headed by a former senior administrator from Sotheby’s, with over 20 years’ experience.

Commercial, negotiation and marketing expertise is delivered by former Global Management Executive Board members of Christie’s.