My Property Box named North East Estate Agency of the Year

At the My Local Awards 2026, judges handed My Property Box the title of North East Estate Agency of the Year, closing twelve months that brought another acquisition, a significant housebuilder partnership and further regional growth.

What the award recognises is steady expansion that has not come at the cost of service. Working from Darlington, Newcastle and Northallerton, the group spent the award period consolidating, most visibly by buying Ashington lettings business Clarke Holland, the 16th agency to join in seven years and a deal that followed the additions of Ready to Rent and Newton Assets. All of it forms part of a buy-and-build strategy financed by multi-million pound backing from BGF.

The sales side of the business had a good year too. Bussey & Armstrong, the Darlington housebuilder, chose My Property Box to lead sales and marketing on future phases at West Park Garden Village, its award-winning development — an appointment that rewarded a combination of digital marketing know-how and close familiarity with the local market.

People have had attention as well as portfolios: staff retention has stayed strong, supported by a culture built around collaboration, professional development and client care. The latest trophy joins the Service Provider of the Year award the group collected in 2024 at the Blue Bricks Magazine Property Awards.

Marie Wilmot, the group's sales and lettings director, said the recognition belonged to the whole team: "We're absolutely delighted to receive this award. It's been an incredible year for the business, but what makes this recognition so special is that it reflects the hard work of our entire team."

She summed up the year: "We've continued to grow through carefully chosen acquisitions, built exciting partnerships such as our work with Bussey & Armstrong and welcomed more talented people into the business, all while staying true to what matters most - looking after our clients."

Chief executive Ben Quaintrell founded the business in Darlington in 2012. It has since become one of the leading independent estate agency groups in the North East, offering lettings, residential sales, property management and investment advice from County Durham and the Tees Valley through Tyne & Wear and Northumberland into North Yorkshire.

Awards matter to sellers as well as clients: anyone handing over an agency wants to know their people and landlords are joining a business the region respects. If you are weighing that up, we would be pleased to talk.