Why Some UK Industries Are Quietly Unattractive

Not for Sale: Why Some UK Industries Are Quietly Unattractive to Buyers

In a business climate increasingly shaped by consolidation, some sectors remain conspicuously absent from the M&A spotlight. According to Plimsoll’s latest market analysis, several key UK industries show a consistently low percentage of companies rated as “highly attractive for acquisition.” Top of that list are mortgage advisers, financial planners, insurance brokers and solicitors. Each sector sees fewer than 13 percent of companies flagged by Plimsoll as desirable acquisition targets. This figure is built from a detailed assessment of over 30 financial and commercial metrics, including growth, profitability and financial stability.

Professional, Stable, and Unmoved

In Plimsoll’s Mortgage Advisers Industry Analysis, only 11.4% of firms are considered attractive for acquisition. The story is similar in financial planning (11.7%), insurance brokerage (12.1%) and solicitors (12.2%). These are not failing industries. In fact, Plimsoll’s data shows that the majority of companies in these sectors are financially strong. But for buyers, the opportunity to create value through acquisition is limited. Many of these businesses rely on personal relationships, regulated models and localised client networks. That makes them difficult to scale and even harder to integrate. The solicitors market is particularly illustrative. With more than 1,000 firms assessed, only a small fraction meet the profile for acquisition. The problem is not financial health, but rather structure. Client loyalty is often tied to individual practitioners. Regulatory hurdles are high. Brand value is hyper-local. The result is a sector that runs profitably but resists consolidation.

Organic Growth, Not Rollups

This pattern holds true across much of the professional services landscape. In chartered surveying and estate agencies, Plimsoll rates just 14.1% and 14.5% of firms respectively as acquisition prospects. Even where market demand is steady, fragmentation and tradition slow down any consolidation trend. The logic is simple. These are businesses built on trust, not infrastructure. Growth tends to come through reputation and referrals rather than capital injection or aggressive scaling. For investors seeking a quick route to market share, these sectors offer little leverage.

A Strategic Pause

Plimsoll’s data offers a useful correction to the idea that all healthy industries are acquisition-ready. The low M&A potential in these sectors does not imply weakness. Rather, it points to business models that are resilient, decentralised and resistant to change. For owners in these markets, it means exits are more likely to come through succession or management buyouts than through external acquisition. For buyers, it signals that long-term partnerships and selective investment will yield more value than broad roll-up strategies.

Conclusion

Not every part of the UK economy is for sale. And in the case of mortgage advice, legal services and financial planning, that may be the reason these sectors remain stable. Plimsoll’s findings highlight the quiet strength of industries that grow through trust and continuity, not acquisition. These are the markets where strategic patience, not transactional ambition, will define success.