The future is Orange for growing property firm

A North East property agency is aiming to become the “biggest and the best in the region” as it accelerates its growth through a string of acquisitions.

Orange Sales and Lettings, owned by David Lamb, has bought six lettings agencies across the region, including two recent purchases in Hartlepool and Sunderland.

The expansion has seen David purchase premises on Belasis Avenue in Billingham to accommodate the growing business, alongside an office in Sunderland.

Four employees are also joining Orange through one of its latest acquisitions, taking its team of sales and lettings agents to 12.

David, who is from Billingham, began investing in property using money earned while working in the steel industry and offshore before moving into sales and lettings.

His experience as a landlord has helped shape Orange’s approach, with the business positioning itself as an agency run by landlords who understand the challenges facing property owners.

The growth comes alongside industry recognition, with Orange recently named Property Manager of the Year at the Blue Bricks Magazine Property Awards.

It has also been shortlisted for Residential Agency of the Year at the National Property Awards in Birmingham this September.

David said: “It’s great to receive the recognition for what we are trying to build here at Orange Sales and Lettings, as we look to become the go-to sales and lettings business and property experts in the North East.”

Alongside running Orange, David hosts property podcast Back to Brick and has appeared at events across the UK sharing his journey from landlord to agency owner.

He added: “I have done 49 episodes of my podcast and it’s been great for networking and has given me credibility.

“I stopped doing the podcast for six months and the amount of messages I got on Instagram asking me when the next episode was coming was unbelievable!

“I’m quite proud that a large section of the audience are young people all aspiring to do what I have done.

“To share my story on other people’s podcasts makes sense.

“People didn’t know I worked at the steelworks and on the rigs, as, if you’ve got a large portfolio of properties, people just assume you’ve come from money.

“I’m just a lad from Billingham and I’m not very good at looking back and appreciating what I’ve done, but when you’re talking on a podcast, you’re reflecting and it’s a bit like journaling – it helps you mentally.”

The company also works with a network of tradespeople to provide repairs and refurbishment services across its growing portfolio.

Its acquisition strategy, growing workforce and expanded office presence are now providing a platform for further growth, with David open to eventually taking the Orange model beyond the North East.

He added: “I want to be providing the standard everyone else is aiming for because the quality of the team we have got is unbelievable.

“No other lettings agency owner has got tens of properties themselves and while there’s some brilliant agencies out there, who we can learn a lot from, they don’t understand what landlords go through, because they are not going through it themselves.

“We have experienced strong organic growth as a result, because I think people buy into the fact that they can see me developing buildings and buying houses.

“I want to be the biggest and the best in the region – and we may look at other regions further down the line.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.