Former Leicester City director invests in local estate agent

A Leicester-based estate agency has received a six-figure private equity investment.

The news sees Dunelm Partners, a private investment syndicate, take a stake in Hortons, with one of the firm’s partners taking a seat on the board.

James Johnson is a former partner in law firm Clifford Chance. He was also previously a director of Leicester City FC, having been one of the five people who set up the Lineker consortium to rescue the club from administration in 2003.

Hortons’ head office is in Loughborough and the company currently covers Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Hortons says it plans to use the investment to build its team of agents across the East Midlands, but has its sights set on achieving national coverage within the next few years.

Founder Adam Horton said: “The phrase ‘people buy from people’ is at the centre of our brand.

“We’re building a community of experienced estate agents, who are all self-employed. Hortons helps them to develop their personal brands and build their businesses, establishing themselves as local experts whilst paring them with cutting edge technology.

“Our one point of contact service is enabling us to deliver a unique experience for our clients and so far we’ve had amazing feedback with hundreds of five star reviews.”