16 acquisitions in seven years: our growth story

My Property Box was founded in Darlington in 2012 by Ben Quaintrell, built around a simple bet: that a lettings and sales business run on modern technology could deliver better service than the high street model it was competing with. The acquisition programme began in 2018, and by the end of 2025 sixteen agencies had joined the group in the space of seven years.

The map tells the story. Early deals consolidated the Tees Valley and County Durham heartland - Holt Estate Agents in Thornaby, Sanderson Lettings in Darlington, Bishop Auckland's Lifestyle Property. North Yorkshire followed with Garrison Lettings and WardHorne in Richmond, and later the fourth-generation Northallerton firm John Prest, founded in 1926 and still trading under its own name from 65 High Street. Tyne & Wear and Northumberland arrived through Westoe Lettings in South Shields, Groves Residential in Jesmond, Acorn Properties, KIS Lettings and, most recently, Ashington-based Clarke Holland. Add Brookland Estates Lettings on Teesside, Darlington's Landlords 2 and Bellwood & Harris, and County Durham's Ready to Rent and Newton Assets, and the group today covers the Tees Valley, County Durham, Tyne & Wear, Northumberland and North Yorkshire from offices in Darlington, Newcastle and Northallerton.

Growth of that kind needs backing. In late 2022 NEL Fund Managers provided a £300,000 investment from the North East Growth Capital Fund, helping consolidate the group's position and act on opportunities; at that point My Property Box employed more than 50 people and managed around 1,600 rental properties. In July 2024 came a multi-million pound investment from BGF, the UK and Ireland's most active growth capital investor, together with buy-and-build specialist Richard Smith as non-executive chair. Four further acquisitions followed within eighteen months, and a chief finance officer, Will Maddock, was appointed in December 2025 to bring the finance function in-house.

What matters to a vendor is what happens after completion. The record shows a consistent pattern. Landlords and tenants keep a managed service, moved onto systems built for the job rather than left in limbo. Staff have been retained and offices kept open where that made sense: twelve people stayed with Groves, fourteen with Acorn Properties, and John Prest's team, brand and premises all continued. For retiring owners - the reason behind the John Prest, Landlords 2, Ready to Rent and Newton Assets sales - the appeal is a clean, well-funded exit with no loose ends and no lingering obligations. For those simply moving on to other ventures, as at Bellwood & Harris and Clarke Holland, it is the same certainty on a different timetable.

Behind all of it sits central support: compliance, accounts, marketing and property management resource that an independent operator rarely has the scale to fund alone.

The North East lettings market is still fragmented, and many of our best deals started with an owner picking up the phone. If you are thinking about retirement, succession or simply a change of direction, we would welcome a confidential conversation - no obligation, and complete discretion.