Hunters buys SW franchise firm Besley Hill for £2.5 million
Most recent acquisition brings total Hunters network to 206 branches.
Franchise giant Hunters has bought one of Gloucestershire’s larger estate agency networks in a deal worth £2.5 million, it has been revealed.
All 15 franchised branches of 40-year-old firm Besley Hill are included in the deal which are all in Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Besley Hill began business in 1976 starting with a single branch in Kingswood, Gloucestershire (pictured, right) and then grew organically before expanding via franchising from 2004 onwards.
The business also established a foothold in Gloucestershire after buying several branches from The Halifax.
“Hunters’ national reach and reputation, combined with its strong focus on local ownership and local knowledge through its franchise model, is very exciting for us and represents great opportunities for the future,” Adam Offer, managing director of Besley Hill, told a local paper.
“As all of our branches are franchised, the acquisition complements Hunters’ business strategy very well as well as enabling us to share our principles of delivering excellent customer service in both residential sales and lettings.”
Day-to-day running
Adam is the only remaining founder of the business, which he set up with Philip Besley and Robert Hill, and he and finance director Allison Firks-Matthews have agreed to stay on in the business and be involved in the day-to-day running.
News of the purchase would made in Hunters most recent trading update and takes the number of branches within the Hunters franchising network to 206.
The Besley Hill branches are in Bedminster, Bishopsworth, Downend, Knowle, Whitchurch Fillage, Fishpoinds, Longwell Green and Easton in Bristol; Bishopston in Wiltshire; Chipping Sodbury, Wooton-Under-Edge, Dursley and Kingswood in Gloucestershire and Thornbury in South Gloucestershire.
