Latest Acquisitions & News | MyPropertyBox Group

News

Latest updates

July 2026

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.

June 2026

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.

December 2025

Clarke Holland deal is My Property Box's 16th acquisition

My Property Box signed off 2025 with a deal in Ashington, buying independent lettings business Clarke Holland and tightening its hold on Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. Sixteen acquisitions have now been completed in seven years. The rental homes on Clarke Holland's books have transferred to My Property Box Tyne & Wear, which manages them from the group's Jesmond office in Newcastle. Owner Paul Baldry agreed the sale, for an undisclosed sum, in order to step back and give his attention to his own property portfolio and other business interests. Two County Durham deals had come earlier in the year — Ready to Rent, and Newton Assets in Seaham — and, like them, this one was underpinned by the multi-million pound investment BGF made in July 2024. That backing continues to drive a buy-and-build strategy spanning North Yorkshire and the North East, where the group also has offices in Darlington and Northallerton. A senior appointment was announced at the same time. Will Maddock has become chief finance officer, a post created for the first time in order to bring the group's finance function inside the business and add governance and strategic oversight as the buying continues. He arrives from Operam Education Group in Manchester, where he served on the board for over seven years and helped grow the platform by acquiring and integrating nine education recruitment brands. Maddock said he had joined at a telling moment: "I'm excited to have joined My Property Box at such a pivotal stage in its growth journey. The business has already achieved an impressive track record of acquisitions, and I look forward to helping shape the next phase of its development by ensuring we have the financial strength and systems in place to deliver long-term success." For founder and chief executive Ben Quaintrell, the purchase reinforced a regional ambition: "This latest acquisition further strengthens our presence across Northumberland and Tyne & Wear and reflects our ambition to continue expanding our residential lettings footprint across the region. We are delighted to welcome Clarke Holland's landlords and tenants, who will benefit from our proactive approach, digital systems and extensive expertise in property management." Sixteen deals have made the process a practised and discreet one. Owners wondering what their lettings book might fetch, and how a handover works day to day, are very welcome to ask.

September 2025

My Property Box adds 360 rental homes in double deal

More than 360 rental properties came into My Property Box in September 2025 as two County Durham agencies were bought within days of each other. Ready to Rent and Newton Assets — the latter managing homes in and around Seaham — were both sold by owners heading for retirement. The pair were the group's second and third deals of the year, following February's purchase of Darlington agency Bellwood & Harris, and brought the seven-year tally to 15. Landlords and tenants at both firms were told of the change, with every service moving to My Property Box, by then working from Darlington, Newcastle and Northallerton and still widening its coverage of North Yorkshire and the North East. The money again came from BGF, the growth capital investor behind the multi-million pound investment made in July 2024 — funding intended to let the group act quickly on well-chosen targets while continuing to develop the technology behind its service. Founder and chief executive Ben Quaintrell welcomed the incoming clients: "We're delighted to welcome the clients of Ready to Rent and Newton Assets. Both agencies were run with dedication and professionalism, and we're proud to carry forward that legacy while providing landlords and tenants with the benefits of our modern, technology-focused approach." He placed the deals within a wider plan: "These acquisitions further strengthen our presence in County Durham and align perfectly with our strategy of carefully targeted growth. The investment from BGF is enabling us to accelerate our expansion plans, and we remain committed to building our portfolio while delivering the high standards of service our clients expect." James Baker, investor at BGF, saw a strategy being delivered: "It's great to see My Property Box continue to deliver on its buy and build growth strategy and extend its reach across the North East and Yorkshire. There remains significant M&A opportunity in sectors ripe for consolidation, such as the residential lettings market, and BGF's patient capital model, value creation offering and experience of buy and build can help unlock this growth potential." Both of these owners came to us wanting a retirement they could plan for and landlords who would be properly cared for afterwards. Handovers of that kind are routine for our team, and we are always pleased to hear from owners thinking a year or two ahead.

February 2025

Bellwood & Harris deal is My Property Box's 13th

The first deal of 2025 kept My Property Box close to home. In February the group bought Bellwood & Harris, a Darlington agency with a 150-property portfolio assembled over 16 years, for a sum neither side disclosed. It was the 13th business to join in seven years. Two friends, Helen Bellwood and Justine Harris, had started the agency in 2009 and run it from premises on Yarm Road. Those 150 managed homes have now moved to My Property Box, whose head office stands in the same town, and the Yarm Road office has closed. The founders' aim was to free themselves for other business interests while handing their landlords and tenants to an organisation able to offer broader services and the benefits of scale. Only weeks earlier the group had taken on Northallerton's fourth-generation firm John Prest and Landlords 2 of Darlington. Behind all three deals sat the July 2024 investment from BGF, the most active growth capital investor operating in the UK and Ireland. The group described the Bellwood & Harris purchase as a further milestone in its progress across North Yorkshire and the North East. Chief executive Ben Quaintrell said: "This acquisition represents another significant milestone in our expansion as we continue to grow our footprint across the North East and North Yorkshire. Bellwood & Harris has built an excellent reputation for customer service, which perfectly aligns with our own values." He went on: "Our commitment is to provide their clients with the same exceptional service they've come to expect, while also offering access to our cutting-edge technology and expert support." Co-founder Justine Harris explained the decision: "After many rewarding years serving landlords and tenants, we felt the time was right to step down and entrust our business to a larger organisation that shares our passion for delivering exceptional customer service." She was confident about what came next: "My Property Box has a fantastic reputation, and we are confident our clients will benefit from their innovative approach and expanded range of services. Growing Bellwood & Harris into a trusted agency has been a privilege, and I know Ben and his team will continue to build on that legacy." Retirement is not the only trigger for a sale. Plenty of owners simply want their time back for other projects, with the reassurance that clients are properly looked after. If that sounds familiar, a discreet conversation is easily arranged.

October 2024

My Property Box buys John Prest and Landlords 2

October 2024 was busy: My Property Box completed two deals in quick succession and more than 450 managed properties changed hands. Directors at both agencies were retiring. One purchase brought a slice of Northallerton history into the group. John Prest opened in the town in 1926, established by W.L. Prest Senior together with his wife, first at Kelvin Terrace and, from 1932, at 65 High Street, where it has stayed ever since. Four generations of Prests have taken a turn at the helm. Directors John Prest and Mark, his son, chose to retire, and the firm became the group's 12th acquisition in six years. Clients noticed very little: the High Street premises remains open, the Prest name still hangs above the door, and both staff members stayed on, with experienced My Property Box manager Clare Bopari overseeing the branch. The other deal was for Landlords 2 in Darlington, whose long-serving director, Tim Haigh, was also stepping back. Its Coniscliffe Road office has since closed and client services now run through My Property Box's central operation in the same town. Ben Quaintrell, the group's founder and chief executive, described both as strategically useful: "These acquisitions are an important part of our strategy to strengthen our market presence across the North East and North Yorkshire. Both John Prest and Landlords 2 have a long-standing reputation for delivering excellent service, and we're excited to build on these foundations." Shared values mattered as much as geography, he added: "What's particularly appealing about both businesses is that they share My Property Box's core values of integrity and trust. Their commitment to high standards mirrors our own, ensuring we can continue offering an exceptional experience for both landlords and tenants as we continue to grow." For John Prest himself, handing over was a considered decision. He said: "Our family has proudly run this business across four generations, but after thoughtful consideration, we believed it was the right time to pass the baton. I'm pleased the trusted Prest name, along with our office and dedicated staff, will continue, ensuring a seamless experience for our clients." Both transactions drew on the multi-million pound BGF investment completed three months previously. Most owners who approach us have retirement in mind, and this pair of deals shows how well that can work: a respected name preserved, jobs protected, a tidy handover. If you want something similar, do get in touch.

July 2024

My Property Box lands multi-million pound BGF investment

Funding for a faster pace: in July 2024 My Property Box agreed a multi-million pound investment from BGF, money intended to speed up an acquisition programme that had already brought ten businesses into the Darlington-headquartered group since 2019. Residential lettings is the heart of the operation Ben Quaintrell started in 2012. Managing homes for professional tenants and students alike, the group works across the North East from bases in Darlington and Newcastle, and its estate agency arm has long handled residential sales throughout the region. The ten agencies bought over the preceding five years shared a single purpose: assembling a lettings platform with genuine regional scale. Founded in 2011, BGF has invested £4bn in more than 560 companies through a network of 15 offices, usually taking a minority stake, and describes itself as the most active growth capital investor across the UK and Ireland. James Baker, of its Yorkshire and North East team, led the transaction and took a board seat on completion. Joining him was Richard Smith, appointed non-executive chair, a buy-and-build specialist who has scaled acquisitive platforms in a number of different sectors. Quaintrell, the group's founder and chief executive, set out the thinking behind the deal: "The North East lettings market remains fragmented, presenting us with opportunity to capitalise on our successful buy and build strategy. To execute this, we needed a long-term investment partner that shared our vision and understood the potential that exists - both in the company and in the market. In BGF, we believe we have found this, and we're looking forward to taking our growth plans to the next level with the support of a trusted investor." From the investor's side, Baker pointed to a record already established: "My Property Box has a proven track record of executing its M&A strategy, with a clear ambition to scale at pace. It is set to build on this momentum, establishing itself as the residential lettings platform of choice across the North East." Advice on the transaction came from Ward Hadaway, where James Nightingale and Jamie Guy acted for BGF, with tax input from Toyan Williams of the Tax Advisory Partnership. Kirsty Adamson and Eleanor Baird of Weightmans advised the management team. With committed backing behind us, decisions come quickly and offers are made fairly. Any agency owner curious about what a sale might involve is welcome to raise it with us in confidence.

February 2024

Brookland Estates Lettings: tenth acquisition in six years

Six years of dealmaking reached double figures in February 2024, when My Property Box acquired Brookland Estates Lettings, a Teesside firm specialising in lettings and property investment. The price was not disclosed, and the purchase was the group's tenth. Brookland was a young business that had travelled fast. Matthew Alder set it up in 2020 and by the time of the sale it looked after almost 200 homes across the Tees Valley. Alder's reason for selling was straightforward: he wanted more time for his property sourcing venture. Lettings work stopped at the company's Stockton-on-Tees base and the portfolio transferred over. The two firms had a good deal in common, each pairing lettings with property investment and property management, and Brookland's Tees Valley coverage complemented a group already working across the North East and North Yorkshire from offices in Darlington and Newcastle. The previous additions had been the 2022 purchases of Newcastle estate agency Acorn Properties and South Shields firm KIS Lettings. By 2024 the group's services extended well beyond sales and lettings. Landlords could use an investment service covering everything from finding a property to managing the tenancy, and the previous September had seen the launch of an accredited financial services arm handling residential and buy-to-let mortgage advice, buildings and contents insurance, life cover, income protection and critical illness cover. Managing director Ben Quaintrell, who started the company in 2012, was pleased with the match: "This latest acquisition is a perfect fit for this business, which continues to look for growth opportunities not just within the North East and North Yorkshire, but further afield." He had praise for what Alder had achieved: "Brookland Estates Lettings has grown relatively quickly and has earned a reputation for delivering an excellent service to tenants and landlords alike – something that will continue under My Property Box." Technology, he suggested, would be the most obvious gain for incoming clients: "We have invested heavily in digital technology over the years, which allows us to sell, let and manage properties more effectively and efficiently. This is both user-friendly and offers value for money, something I'm sure our new Brooklands clients will greatly appreciate." Longevity is not a requirement. A four-year-old lettings book can be every bit as attractive as one built over four decades, so whether you are winding down or changing direction, we would welcome a private conversation.

November 2022

£300k growth fund investment backs My Property Box expansion

In November 2022 My Property Box secured a £300,000 investment from the North East Growth Capital Fund, giving it the means to act quickly when the right acquisition opportunities arose. The money came via NEL Fund Managers, the regional firm that runs the fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund. My Property Box earmarked the money for three purposes: consolidating its existing market position, enhancing its services, and pursuing further acquisitions. By that point the group was ten years old and had completed nine acquisitions in four years, the most recent pair — Acorn Properties in Jesmond and South Shields agency KIS Lettings — having completed only weeks earlier. It offered a full end-to-end service covering sales, lettings, management and investment advice, employed more than 50 people and managed around 1,600 properties, with coverage taking in the whole of the North East plus Richmond and Catterick in North Yorkshire. Ben Quaintrell said: "The business has evolved over the last decade, but we have always stayed true to the principles on which it was founded by utilising advanced digital technologies to deliver the best possible standards of customer service." He made a telling point about where the group's deals come from: "We've been able to complete a significant number of acquisitions over the last few years that have come along at the right time in the right places for us, and it's pleasing that many of them have come from rival businesses approaching us about taking on their operations." On the road ahead, he said: "In the short term, we're focusing on consolidation, but we're very much open to making more acquisitions in the future, especially in areas like Leeds, West Yorkshire and Cumbria where we're confident our business model would succeed." Jane Siddle, senior investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, said: "Ben and his team have built a very successful business over the last decade and have the expertise, systems and resources in place it required to keep progressing, both within and outside the North East." David Paget of Atlas Trade Finance made the introduction to NEL, while Stockton-on-Tees firm Atom Financial handled the financial due diligence on the deal. As Ben noted at the time, many of our deals begin with an owner picking up the phone. If that is something you have been mulling over, we would be glad to hear from you.

October 2022

Acorn Properties and KIS Lettings: acquisitions eight and nine

Two agencies joined My Property Box in October 2022, lifting the total to nine acquisitions in four years — a neat way to mark its tenth birthday. Acorn Properties Ltd was the bigger of the pair, a serious presence in Newcastle lettings. It advertised upwards of 800 properties a year, houses in multiple occupation among them, across a patch stretching west to Hexham, north as far as Alnwick and south into Durham. Its Jesmond office and all 14 staff came across intact, with co-owner Louise Greetham, who held it alongside John and Margaret Henderson, staying on to run it. The second purchase was KIS Lettings, bringing 130 properties in South Shields, North Shields, Newcastle and Sunderland. Those went to sister company Groves Residential in Jesmond, and the last remaining KIS office, in South Shields, closed. In earlier years it had also traded from Welwyn Garden City, Sunderland and North Shields. Founder Ajay Jagota sold up to start a specialist tenancy compliance business. Ben Quaintrell, who founded the group and leads it as managing director, said: "Both acquisitions highlight the significant growth trajectory of this business while further strengthening our position across Tyneside, Wearside, north Durham and Northumberland." He offered incoming clients a personal assurance: "I personally wish to reassure the clients of both Acorn Properties and KIS Lettings that they can expect the same high standards of service whilst continuing to benefit from that all-important local knowledge and expertise." Acorn director John Henderson looked back on nearly two decades of ownership: "Margaret and I bought the business in 2004 and along with Louise Greetham, her husband Simon and our dedicated team, we have established it as well-respected and vibrant family business. We are proud of our exceptional levels of service, something that we know will continue under My Property Box with Louise at the helm." Jagota was moving on rather than winding down. He said: "I founded KIS with the ambition to become the North East's best lettings business. I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it's the right time to move on to a new venture - which sees me continue my association with the property sector with the launch of tenancy compliance service, Veriwise." A sale need not be the end of anything. Retirement, a fresh venture or releasing capital are all sound reasons to talk, and we are happy to sketch out what a deal might look like.

December 2021

Groves Residential becomes My Property Box's seventh deal

December 2021 brought a seventh business into the My Property Box group inside three years: Newcastle agency Groves, bought as part of the Darlington firm's growth plan. Groves arrived with more than 30 years in sales, lettings and property management, and with clients spread from Berwick upon Tweed in the far north down to the south bank of the Tyne. Little changed for them. The Groves name stayed, all 12 employees kept their jobs, and both the Newcastle tenancy management centre and the Acorn Road office in Jesmond remained open. Founder Nick Rawlinson's retirement had prompted the sale. Day-to-day control passed to head of operations Wendy Leonard, a Groves colleague of more than 16 years, giving landlords and tenants a familiar point of contact throughout the handover. Two things attracted the buyer: geography and specialist knowledge. Ben Quaintrell, the group's founder and managing director, said: "The acquisition, which brings with it an excellent portfolio of properties, enables this business to extend its reach in the north of the region." He rated the business highly: "Groves has earned a reputation as one of most successful property companies across Tyneside and Northumberland, which it has achieved through its knowledge of the local market." Student lettings were part of the appeal, he added: "It also has extensive expertise within the student letting sector, given Newcastle is such a thriving university city. I'm thrilled to have acquired an estate agent of this calibre." Leonard, for her part, saw two complementary businesses. She said: "Groves is an independent with a proud tradition of delivering a high quality and personal service and I look forward to working closely with the digitally focused team at My Property Box to see how we can take this to the next level." She added: "There is a huge amount of synergy between both businesses and this deal represents an important step forward for both." The purchase rounded off a busy year that had also brought Lifestyle Property in Bishop Auckland, Westoe Lettings in South Shields and Richmondshire agency WardHorne. In time Groves Residential would become the group's Jesmond-based sister company and take on further portfolios of its own. Some sellers want the name they built to outlast them and their team to stay in work. Where that is the right answer we are glad to make it happen, and glad to discuss it quietly with any owner planning ahead.

September 2021

WardHorne acquisition marks sixth deal in three years

A 70-property portfolio in Richmond became the sixth business to join My Property Box in three years when the group bought North Yorkshire letting agent WardHorne in September 2021. Owner Judy Ward had decided to retire, and every property she managed moved across to the Darlington-headquartered group. WardHorne was no newcomer: for over 30 years it had handled residential lettings in Richmond, Catterick and the villages around them. It grew out of Ward's own investments: having bought several homes, she launched a property management service, running it from home at first. Its office in Dundas Street, Richmond, shut on completion. The deal closed a productive spell. Earlier in 2021 the group had taken on Bishop Auckland estate agency Lifestyle Property and South Shields firm Westoe Lettings, the latter adding weight on Tyneside and Wearside. Garrison Lettings, another Richmond agency, was acquired in 2020, preceded in 2019 by Sanderson Lettings in Darlington — the firm where Ben Quaintrell worked for eight years early in his career — and, shortly before that, Thornaby-based Holt Estate Agents. Quaintrell, the group's founder and managing director, reflected on how far the business had travelled: "It's amazing to think that My Property Box was only founded in 2012 and it has already established a strong regional presence in both lettings and sales." He credited colleagues for that progress: "Its success is due to our team's in-depth knowledge and experience of the property market, together with a national reputation for excellence and innovation." Looking ahead, he added: "Our ambition is to continue to strengthen My Property Box's position within the North East and North Yorkshire, while continuing to examine opportunities to expand into other regions." Ward's thoughts turned to her clients. She said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed working with so many landlords and tenants over the years, many of whom are long-standing clients of WardHorne. However, I can assure them that they will continue to enjoy the same high standard of customer service with My Property Box." Her timing owed something to circumstance too: "It seemed the right time to relinquish the business, given I'm approaching retirement and my office manager Sarah Carr, who I thank for her many years of dedication and hard work, is moving away." Owners reach this point by all sorts of routes: retirement, a trusted colleague moving on, or tiring of the risk. Whatever prompted the thought, we are ready to listen.

April 2021

My Property Box moves into sales with two 2021 acquisitions

Residential sales joined the My Property Box line-up in April 2021, nine years after the Darlington-headquartered firm opened as a lettings and property management specialist. Buying two local competitors made it possible. Bishop Auckland estate agency Lifestyle Property was the first of the pair. Its sales, lettings and property management work passed across, and founder Ashley Fenwick came too, taking a leading role in building the new sales arm. Fenwick had started Lifestyle Property in 2010, arriving with more than 25 years of property sales experience behind her, gained at Halifax and Ann Cordey Estate Agents. The plan after handover was for the Newgate Street office to close. The second business was South Shields firm Westoe Lettings, whose purchase gave the group a firmer footing on Tyneside and Wearside. Regional confidence sat behind the timing. Ben Quaintrell, who founded the business and runs it as managing director, pointed to a run of good news for the area: "Huge opportunities lie ahead for the North East following recent government confirmation that Treasury North is moving to Darlington, Teesside has been granted freeport status, together with several exciting developments in the green energy sector." The jobs those projects create would feed straight through into housing demand, he argued: "Many hundreds of jobs are being created and that will not only stimulate the local economy but trigger a huge demand for quality homes, both to own and rent." On why the group chose that moment to add sales, Quaintrell said: "The acquisition of Lifestyle Property, together with Ashley's invaluable industry expertise and knowledge, means it is the perfect moment to move into property sales." Standards, he stressed, would not shift: "We provide landlords and tenants with an exceptional level of service and that ethos will continue in our approach to property sales." For Fenwick, the deal came at a natural point. She said: "It was the right time for me to sell the business, having run things single-handedly for the past 12 months." She also saw a bigger change underway: "I also believe there is a growing trend towards a more digitally focused and tech-savvy approach, such as that provided by My Property Box, which is likely to reduce the need for a presence on the high street." Carrying a business single-handed is hard going. Owners in that position are welcome to get in touch for an unhurried, confidential chat.

July 2020

Garrison Lettings: My Property Box expands into Richmond

In 2020 My Property Box looked west of its Darlington base and acquired Garrison Lettings, a letting agency based in Richmond, North Yorkshire. The deal took the group beyond its Tees Valley heartland and into Richmondshire, and it proved to be a foothold worth having. It was the group's third acquisition, following Holt Estate Agents in Thornaby and Sanderson Lettings in Darlington. The following year My Property Box returned to the same town to buy WardHorne, another long-established Richmond letting agent, and by 2024 it was operating an office in Northallerton too. Completing a deal in 2020 was no small undertaking, with the pandemic disrupting viewings, moves and market confidence for much of the year. That My Property Box kept buying through that period reflected both its confidence in the regional rental market and a business model built around digital systems. For Garrison Lettings clients, the transition brought them into a group offering lettings, property management and investment advice, with local knowledge of the Richmond market retained. The deal also confirmed something the group has repeated many times since: a strong independent agency in a smaller market town can be every bit as valuable as a city portfolio. If you own a lettings or estate agency in a market town and are starting to think about retirement or a change of direction, do get in touch. We are happy to talk things through in confidence, whatever stage your thinking is at.

September 2019

Sanderson Lettings, Darlington: a homecoming acquisition

Some deals are strategic. A few are personal as well. The purchase of Sanderson Lettings in 2019 was both. Sanderson Lettings was a Darlington letting agency operating in My Property Box's home town, and it carried particular significance for founder and managing director Ben Quaintrell: he had worked there for eight years after leaving university. The agency that gave him his start eventually became part of the group he went on to build. The acquisition came a year after the group's takeover of Holt Estate Agents, which traded from a Thornaby office, and was followed in 2020 by the purchase of Richmond-based Garrison Lettings. Together these early deals laid the foundations for a run that reached six acquisitions in three years by September 2021. For landlords and tenants on the Sanderson books, the move meant continuity of service alongside the systems and technology My Property Box had been developing since 2012. That balance — familiar local people supported by better tools behind the scenes — still shapes how the group integrates the businesses it buys. It also mattered that the buyer was a Darlington firm, so the properties stayed in the care of a team based in the same town. Are you an agency owner wondering what a sensible succession plan might look like? We would welcome a discreet conversation about how a transition could work for you, your team and your clients.

April 2019

Holt Estate Agents: Where My Property Box's growth story began

Every acquisition programme has a starting point, and for My Property Box that starting point was Holt Estate Agents. Holt, which ran an office in Thornaby on Teesside, was taken on by the Darlington-headquartered agency shortly before its 2019 purchase of Sanderson Lettings in Darlington. That makes Holt the opening chapter in a growth strategy that has since reshaped the residential lettings landscape across the North East and North Yorkshire. My Property Box was still a young business at the time, founded in Darlington in 2012 by Ben Quaintrell and built on a digitally led approach to lettings and property management rather than a network of high street shopfronts. Buying a local agency added properties, clients and local knowledge in a single move, while giving the vendor a clean and considered exit. The pace that followed says a good deal about the model. By September 2021 the group had completed six acquisitions in three years, running from Holt through Sanderson Lettings, Garrison Lettings, Lifestyle Property, Westoe Lettings and WardHorne, with many more deals to come across the wider region. If you run an independent agency and the thought of a sale or a slower pace has started to cross your mind, an early informal chat costs nothing. We are always happy to talk quietly with owners weighing up their options.