Belvoir Stone and Stafford has been acquired by property investor and former Finance Director David Slann, who has taken over the established estate agency business through a franchise resale.
The move sees David take ownership of a long-established operation serving landlords, tenants, vendors and buyers across Stone, Stafford and the surrounding area. The existing team will remain in place, with the previous owners also continuing to support the business, providing continuity for clients while allowing the business to benefit from new investment and a clear growth strategy.
David brings significant experience as both a property investor and developer to the business. He has managed a portfolio of residential units across the Midlands and North East, including blocks and HMOs, and has also taken a residential block through redevelopment.
His decision to acquire an established agency rather than build a business from the ground up was driven by the strength of the existing operation and its client relationships.
David Slann said: “I’ve been investing in property for a number of years, mostly as a landlord and more recently as a developer, so the sector isn’t new to me. What was new was the chance to take on an established, well-run operating business rather than build something from scratch. Belvoir Stone and Stafford came with a loyal landlord base, a strong local name and a team who know the area properly, and that’s very hard to replicate.”
The acquisition also comes at a pivotal time for the private rented sector, with significant regulatory change reshaping the lettings market. David believes the increasing complexity of compliance will create further demand for professional property management.
“The lettings market is going through the biggest regulatory shift in decades,” he said. “Landlords are increasingly deciding that self-managing is a challenge, and that plays directly to a professional agency that gets compliance right.”
David’s corporate finance background will also inform his approach to developing the business. As a former Finance Director, he plans to bring greater focus to performance measurement, systems and reporting while retaining the personal service on which the agency has built its reputation.
“An agency has a lot of moving parts, and the businesses that do well are the ones that measure the right things and act on them quickly,” he said. “My aim is to bring structure, better systems and clearer reporting without losing the personal service that people came to this business for in the first place.”
His experience as a landlord has also given him first-hand insight into the challenges facing property owners, from void periods and arrears to the growing demands of regulatory compliance.
“The main lesson is that landlords don’t want surprises,” David added. “Voids, slow arrears chasing and compliance gaps are what keep people awake, and most of it is avoidable with good process.
“The other lesson is that regulation is now the single biggest driver of landlord decisions, so an agent who can explain what’s changing and what to do about it is worth far more than one who simply collects rent.”
David’s plans for the business include growing the managed portfolio, investing in the existing team and continuing to develop the sales operation alongside lettings. He also intends to invest in technology and automation, with the aim of reducing administrative workloads and giving staff more time to focus on clients.
“I’d like the business to be the first call for landlords in the area who want to get things right, particularly as the new rules bed in,” said David.
He noes that he was attracted to the Belvoir franchise model because of the brand’s long-standing focus on lettings, together with its compliance, training and franchisee support infrastructure.
“Belvoir has real lettings heritage and a level of compliance and training support that’s difficult to match independently, which matters more than ever right now,” he said. “Having been through the training myself, the depth of it was a genuine positive. There’s also a network of Franchise Owners who’ve solved most of the problems you’re likely to face, and that shared experience is a big part of the appeal.”
Ellie Hall, Group Managing Director of Belvoir, said: “David is exactly the type of entrepreneur we look to support through our franchise resale model. He combines strong commercial experience with genuine first-hand knowledge of property investment, and he has a clear understanding of the value an experienced agency can bring to landlords.
“What particularly impressed us was his focus on developing the business while protecting the strengths that have made Stone and Stafford successful, its people, relationships and local knowledge. We’re delighted to welcome David to the Belvoir network and look forward to supporting him and the team as they take the business into its next phase.”
