Hortons’ Estate Limited signs John Shepherd for iconic Birmingham office building 

Independent property company, Hortons’ Estate Limited has completed a deal with John Shepherd that will expand the fast-growing estate agent’s presence at The Grand in Birmingham city centre. 

John Shepherd has taken a lease on a first floor office suite at Imperial and Whitehall, a Grade II* listed building on Colmore Row.

The office space will be occupied by John Shepherd’s property management, tenancy and compliance teams, and complements its existing ground floor premises at The Grand, where its city centre sales and lettings branch has been housed since 2016.

The company expects up to 40 staff to be based across both units. 

John Shepherd operates 10 high street branches in the West Midlands and East Midlands. The brand is part of the Lomond Group, one of the UK’s largest acquirers of estate and letting agency businesses in the UK, which acquired the rental portfolio of Birmingham-based Centrick earlier this year and more recently, completed a deal for Nottingham agent, Tassi Sales and Lettings.

The latest acquisition was the company’s 53rd since launch just three years ago and expands John Shepherd’s regional rental portfolio to almost 8,000 properties under management. 

Imperial and Whitehall was originally built by Isaac Horton in the 1870s and is still owned and managed by Hortons’ Estate Limited. The building offers sixteen premium office suites, with just a few still available to let.  

Nina Meeks of Hortons’ Estate, said: “We’re very pleased to have facilitated John Shepherd’s expansion at Colmore Row. The company is a long standing tenant of ours, with strong local roots and an established high street operation. It is committed to Birmingham city centre and supportive of the local business community, and we hope it continues to thrive in its new office suite at Imperial and Whitehall.”

Richard Crathorne, chief executive of John Shepherd, said: “Taking on this additional space at Imperial and Whitehall marks a significant step in John Shepherd’s regional expansion after nearly 10 years on Colmore Row. Our new office space on the first floor allows us to develop and expand our specialist property management team and further elevate the service we provide to our growing client base. 

“We’re excited to be part of the vibrant Colmore Row business district and contribute to the city’s ongoing success. Nina and the Hortons team have been exceptional and supported us all the way, providing the flexibility we needed as we develop and grow the business. 

“Our Birmingham office is the main hub and supports all the high street branches across the West Midlands and East Midlands. This move reflects our commitment to growth across the region, following our recent acquisitions of Centrick’s sales and lettings business and Tassi Sales and Lettings in Nottingham.”

For more information on availability at Imperial and Whitehall, please contact joint letting agents, Charles Warrack at Fisher German and Alex Tross at Carter Jonas, or visit https://imperialandwhitehall.co.uk/