Estate agent Carly French, and her husband Lee, are the new owners of the Belvoir Grantham branch, which was the very first high street office for the property franchise business, which was started in 1995, and had remained as a corporate office.

Carly had been branch manager for the past 11 years, but when an opportunity arose for her to become the new owner, she did not hesitate.

“This is an absolute dream come true for me,” she said. “My husband Lee has joined me as a co-director and will be working with me behind the scenes to ensure the business is as successful as it can be. He has fantastic skills in compliance, management and operations, and will be an enormous asset to the business.

“I have always dreamed of buying Belvoir Grantham, but never thought that would be possible. Then when Belvoir merged with The Property Franchise Group in January of this year, I thought it was the perfect time to put forward the idea. The acquisition went through smoothly, and Lee and I honestly could not be happier. We are both very excited about the future.

“The team have been incredibly supportive, as have all our landlords. It has been very humbling and overwhelming to receive so many lovely messages of support from everyone that I have built up relationships with over the years. We are delighted that all of the team are staying on, and we can’t wait to not only build on the success of Belvoir Grantham, but also grow the business so that we can offer our wonderful clients even greater levels of professionalism and customer service.

“Becoming an owner rather than a manager requires a very different mindset and although it will be challenging, it is also incredibly exciting for us both. I have dreamed of this for so many years and can hardly believe it has happened. Last year I won Employee of the Year at the Grantham Journal Business Awards and was so happy that I wondered how I could top that experience. Now we have this fantastic opportunity, and it’s amazing!”

Speaking of Carly and Lee’s acquisition, Belvoir franchise director Ian Maclean added: “Carly initially joined Belvoir in 2012, working as a trainee business development manager, but already had several years of experience in running property management agencies in Grantham and Newark. She is incredibly experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of the property market, and when after six months, an opportunity came up for her to manage Belvoir Grantham, which was Belvoir’s very first office, she leapt at the opportunity.

“We are delighted that she is now the owner, as it is always a perfect solution when someone who works within a Belvoir office decides to buy it, because they know the business and the clients and operational systems so well, which makes for a very smooth transition. Carly is absolutely passionate about her work, and investing in her team, and by her own admission ‘lives and breathes’ the Belvoir Grantham office. Under her leadership the office has won over 30 industry awards, and last year her achievements were recognised when she won the prestigious title of Employee of the Year at the Grantham Journal Business Awards.

“There really could not be anyone better qualified or more enthusiastic to take over the Belvoir Grantham office than Carly. Clients can rest assured that they will receive the very best customer service and we wish Carly and Lee every success for the future as they take Belvoir Grantham to the next exciting stage in its history.”