Grand office deal expands John Shepherd in Birmingham

An estate and letting agency is expanding its footprint in Birmingham city centre.

John Shepherd has taken space at the Imperial and Whitehall offices in the grade II*-listed Grand, in Colmore Row.

The space will be occupied by John Shepherd's property management, tenancy and compliance teams and adds to its shop front on the building's ground floor from where it has sold and rented properties across the city since 2016.

The company expects up to 40 staff to be based across both units. John Shepherd operates ten high street branches across the Midlands.

The firm is part of the Lomond Group, one of the UK's largest acquirers of estate and letting agency businesses which bought out the rental portfolio of Birmingham-based Centrick earlier this year and a second company in Nottingham.

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.

Richard Crathorne, chief executive of John Shepherd, said: "Taking on this additional space marks a significant step in our regional expansion after nearly ten years on Colmore Row.

"Our new office space 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. Our Birmingham office is the main hub and supports all the high street branches across the West 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."

Imperial and Whitehall was originally built by Isaac Horton in the 1870s and is still owned and managed by Birmingham-based Hortons' Estate.

Nina Meeks, a management surveyor with the business, added: "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."