Dwelly completes eleventh acquisition of this year
The acquisition of Helen Breeze Property Management in Kent adds 400 managed properties to the Dwelly portfolio.
Dwelly has acquired Kent-based lettings agency Helen Breeze Property Management, adding 400 fully managed properties to its portfolio as it continues its expansion.
The deal is Dwelly’s eleventh acquisition of 2026, taking its portfolio to approximately 15,665 properties under management. The company expects to exceed 16,000 by the end of October.
Founded in 1988 by Helen Breeze, the family-run agency operates across Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas. Partners Hilary Breeze and Diane Hopkins are selling the business but will remain involved for a transition period before retiring.
Continued expansion
Sam Humphreys, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Dwelly, said (main image, far right): “Helen Breeze is a fantastic business with an established local presence, a strong managed portfolio and almost four decades of experience within the Kent rental market and so it was an easy decision with respect to acquisition on our side.”
Hilary Breeze, Partner at Helen Breeze Property Management, said the business was “very well placed for the future” under its new ownership, adding: “Having been a family business and an independent agent for so many years, deciding to sell was never going to be something we took lightly. It was important to us that we found the right home for Helen Breeze Property Management and, in particular, that our landlords, tenants and team would continue to be well looked after.”
Having been a family business and an independent agent for so many years, deciding to sell was never going to be something we took lightly.”
Dwelly’s acquisition programme comes amid increased regulation and rising operating costs across the private rented sector. The company believes these pressures are increasing the importance of professional property management.
Its analysis of Government housing tenure data shows that privately rented homes accounted for 23.3% of the combined owner-occupied and privately rented housing stock in 2026, compared with 12.5% in 2,000.
The number of privately rented homes has risen from 2.089 million to 5.03 million during the same period.
“There’s been no shortage of negative sentiment surrounding the private rented sector of late,” added Humphreys. “But we’re investing based on where we believe the market is heading over the long term, rather than the headlines of the last six to 12 months.”
