Private equity-backed estate agency expands Nottingham footprint

A cash injection from a private equity fund it set to see an estate agency expand throughout Nottinghamshire, creating new jobs in the process.

Hortons Estate Agency, which was founded in Leicester, has grown to a team of 20 covering Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

Now, after a six figure investment from private equity house Dunelm Partners, the firm says it is ramping up recruitment throughout Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The deal saw one of Dunelm’s partners, James Johnson – a former partner in law firm Clifford Chance – take a seat on the board.

Nick Landa, regional director, who is driving the company’s growth in the county, has launched two territories in the past month, and plans to continue with an ambitious recruiting drive, aiming to “bring together the very best estate agency talent in the city”.

Landa described the firm as a “modern alternative” to a high street estate agent, combining technology with personal agents to focus on high quality service, with no fees to pay until the sale completes.

He said: “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 and pairing them with cutting edge technology.

“We’ve had success in Nottingham and there are clear signs that Nottingham homeowners want
a more modern way of selling their property. So far, we’ve had 100% five star reviews.”

In January, Hortons said it planned to use the investment to expand on a national scale “within the next few years”.