Belvoir’s very first franchisee has just completed on the acquisition of an independent letting agency in Inverness, and is now working with his son.

Andy Campbell joined Belvoir as the company’s first franchisee in 1996 and is the owner of Belvoir Moray and Belvoir Inverness. He has now grown his business further by acquiring the lettings portfolio of Home Sweet Home Estate Agents in Inverness, adding a further 80 managed properties to Belvoir’s portfolio.

“The Belvoir Inverness office is fully managed by my son, Steven, and we decided that acquisition was the quickest way to increase our portfolio,” said Campbell. “When Home Sweet Home Estate Agents in Inverness decided to focus on their estate agency and mortgage services division, we took the opportunity to acquire their lettings portfolio.”

He continued: “The new properties will be absorbed into the Belvoir Inverness office and managed by our existing team. We have a team of eleven people across the two offices, and many of the staff have been with me for years, including office manager Lynn Roger, who has worked here for over 20 years. Without such a great team it would not be possible to do this job.

“A couple of years ago I was considering retiring, but then we were offered two separate opportunities to manage large portfolios and I decided to forget about retiring and expand the business! During this period my son Steven came on board, initially in Elgin, but is now running the Inverness office, which we bought out in February 2022. Steven has a background in property maintenance, having run his own business for several years, and my daughter Emma is now working at the Elgin office.

“I first joined Belvoir in 1996 after retiring from the RAF. I initially worked from a spare room in my own home, with only a chair, a desk, computer and a filing cabinet! The business soon got too big for this, so I found an office in a nearby town and then bought out a small company in Elgin, took on a staff member, and the business took off. I bought our existing premises in 2006 and today we’re one of the biggest agents in Moray.

“Being part of the Belvoir franchise has given me the support and back up of a national organisation, together with the freedom of being self-employed. The acquisition team at Central Office are very helpful when it comes to helping franchisees to grow their business, and it’s good to have their support. It is also great to be working with my son and daughter, and I am looking forward to what the future brings.”

Campbell’s long service and commitment to the brand was recognised at the Belvoir 2023 awards when he won the prestigious Belvoir Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaking of Campbell’s latest acquisition, Belvoir franchise director Ian Maclean said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Andy, and we are delighted that Belvoir’s very first franchisee is not only still going strong in Elgin, but is committed to growing his business, firstly by buying the Belvoir Inverness office and then completing on this acquisition.

“One of the great things about being a Belvoir franchisee is having the opportunity to create lucrative assets that can either be sold on when business goals are achieved or passed on to family members so that the business can continue to grow and thrive, which is exactly what Andy is doing. We wish Andy and his family every success for the future.”