The rapidly-expanding Lomond Group has bought yet another business after it purchased the 550-unit lettings book of Midlands firm Smart Homes via its John Shepherd brand for an undisclosed sum.

Lomond, which is expanding fast backing by two big City money firms, says this acquisition will consolidate its position within one of its key markets.

Smart Homes is based in Solihull and until now has been a multi-disciplinary firm with a nine-strong lettings and property management team, who have now transferred to John Shepherd.

The deal – John Shepherd’s third in as many months – has propelled the rental portfolio across its five-branch network past the 3,000 milestone.

Smart Homes will focus exclusively on its residential sales service, as well as its new homes, land and commercial departments, under the leadership of its founder Jamie Smart (main picture, left).

Lettings move

Richard Crathorne (main pic, right), Chief Executive of John Shepherd, says: “Amid the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we are thrilled to kick-start 2022 on such a positive note, and carry over our acquisitions momentum into the New Year.

“We share the same footprint at Smart Homes Lettings so this injection of new properties has dovetailed seamlessly into our existing High Street branches, with the majority being managed by our Shirley and Solihull teams.

“We also inherit new staff brimming with the same local knowledge, industry insight, and high customer service standards on which we pride ourselves. As an agency proud of our 30-year Midlands roots, we look forward to drawing upon this home-grown talent.

John Shepherd, which has branches in Birmingham, Solihull, Shirley, Harborne, Sutton Coldfield and Cannock, became part of the progressive Lomond Group at end of 2020.