One of country’s oldest estate agents slumps into administration
One of the country’s oldest estate agents has slumped into administration with the loss of around 50 jobs.
Humberts, which was based in Wilmslow, has gone into administration for the second time in 18 months.
Staff have been told at the estate agent told that the board of directors has concluded that the company is not in a position to continue trading.
The 176 year-old company, which has offices across the UK, was bought out of administration by holiday letting agency Natural Retreats in May last year, saving a number of jobs.
However, a statement recently published on its website says that Paul Stanley and Paul Barber of insolvency advisors Begbies Traynor have now been appointed administrators.
Staff have been told that the company’s trading activities have been closed immediately and they were being made redundant.
Matt Spence headed up the company after buying the firm out of adminsitration.
Humberts had branches in the Cotswolds, Devon, Dorset, Sussex, Kent, Somerset and Cornwall.
Commercial branches are also part of the Humberts business and include locations in the Lake District, Dorset and Somerset.
Last summer the new owners said the business would “become the first choice for rural landowners and homeowners. Each client will find a service-orientated, high-end ‘one-stop-shop’ for all things land, property and rural.”
The new owners launched a programme of replacing high street branches with ‘hubs’, the first of which was at Poundbury in Dorset.
The business was founded in 1842 and merged with Chestertons in 2009 with both businesses struggling during the recession.
The two de-merged in 2013 and Humberts went into administration in April 2018.
Humberts is the second Cheshire estate agent to slump into administration this year.
A rescue deal was put together for Wright Marshall after the company went into administration.
Lancashire firm Petty Estate Agent bought the 180-year-old estate agent but the deal did not include the rural auction or art auctioneer divisions.
Wright Marshall provided commercial and residential lettings and sales service across seven sites in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire.
