Residential specialist launches in Sheffield following duo of acquisitions

A Northern residential letting company has launched in South Yorkshire after completing a raft of acquisitions.

Linley & Simpson has taken over the rental portfolios of two independent agencies in Sheffield - Lewis Wadsworth and Sheffield Residential.

The deals have seen the transfer of around 750 homes from across the city into Linley & Simpson’s management. As a result, the firm’s own letting portfolio across Yorkshire and the Humber has grown to more than 11,000 properties.

Chief executive Will Linley, who founded the independent agency alongside director Nick Simpson in Yorkshire in 1997, commented: “Sheffield is an international city very much on an upward curve. It is brimming with rental potential, and we are excited to open our doors there for the first time.

“We already have a strong network across other key Northern Powerhouse districts such as Leeds, York and Hull, so launching in a city the size of Sheffield represents a natural step. It’s a perfect geographical fit.

“With an ambitious programme of new build, a growing population of well over 550,000 people, an economy worth an estimated £12bn, and world-leading businesses, hospitals and universities, Sheffield had long been a prime target for us.”

These latest acquisitions – completed for undisclosed sums – are the 16th and 17th to take place since Linley & Simpson secured the backing of private equity investor LDC in June 2018.

Gareth Marshall at LDC added: “This acquisition is a homecoming for Linley & Simpson. When we started working with Will and Nick, they had their eyes firmly set on geographical expansion.

“Now, after successful recent moves into the Pennine Corridor and Humberside, it’s great to see the business consolidate its Yorkshire footprint with its first foray into the region’s biggest city.

“It’s been another incredible year of growth for Linley & Simpson, all achieved against a backdrop of uncertainty. We’re confident the business will continue to build on its position as one of the UK’s fastest growing letting agencies in the year ahead.”