Open House has completed the first acquisition under its new Assisted Acquisitions Programme, with two franchisees taking ownership of a long-established Warrington estate agency.
Kane and Debi Platt, who operate Open House Warrington, have acquired Halton Kelly, a business with more than 25 years of trading history.
The deal marks the first completed acquisition under the franchise network’s new growth strategy following its takeover by Sourced Property Group earlier this year.
Halton Kelly’s previous owner, Simon Kelly, will remain actively involved in the business.
The agency will now trade as Halton Kelly, powered by Open House, under the Platts’ ownership.
Open House targets further acquisitions
Open House introduced its Assisted Acquisitions Programme to help franchisees expand by buying established estate agencies, letting businesses and managed property portfolios.
The Warrington transaction represents the first completed deal through the initiative, with the network looking to facilitate further acquisitions across the UK.
Stephen Moss, founder and CEO of Sourced Property Group, said: “This is an exciting time to see another one of our agents expand and an important first deal for the Open House network since it joined Sourced Group.
“The programme creates a new route to growth for ambitious franchisees while giving established agency owners an opportunity to plan the next chapter of their businesses.
“In this case, Kane and Debi are stepping into ownership while Simon remains actively involved. That provides continuity for the business and its clients while bringing fresh ambition and the backing of the wider Open House network.”
Moss confirmed that the group intends to pursue further deals through the programme.
“This is the first acquisition completed through the programme, but it reflects our wider ambition to create more acquisition opportunities for Open House franchisees across the UK,” he added.
New owners outline plans
Debi Platt said the priority would be to retain Halton Kelly’s local identity while drawing on the wider franchise network.
“Being part of Open House gives us the best of both worlds. We can retain the personal, local approach and in-depth knowledge our clients value while benefiting from the support, expertise and reach of a national network.
“Our ambition is to build on the relationships already established within the community and take the business forward while keeping it locally owned and operated.”
The acquisition adds an established Warrington agency to the Open House network as Sourced Property Group looks to expand its estate agency operations through franchise-led deals.
