Chesterton Humberts has unveiled its new Chestertons’ brand.

It did so last night at the upmarket Mandarin Oriental hotel in London, following the announcement that it would be splitting into two separate businesses which will operate as different limited companies under the Chesterton Global Ltd umbrella.

The two separate brands have existed before, but as totally separate businesses in different ownerships. In 2009, Chesterton merged with Humberts after well-documented difficulties at both firms.

Humberts had expanded very quickly, buying up local firms on credit, and had been put briefly into administration in 2008. Chesterton had seen a revolving door of swiftly changing chief executives. The property market was also very bleak and showing no signs of recovery.

However, the de-merger was announced two months ago, when it was said that both companies would continue trading as Chesterton Humberts until June.

The new Chestertons brand will be rolled out then, when a new website will be launched and a number of senior appointments made.

The firm says it also plans to expand the branch network and areas of work.

A ‘Chesterton Humberts is changing’ advertising campaign will also highlight some of the company’s values.

Each Chestertons office has been given its own sub-brand and feature colour.

The rebranding of Humberts is also under way, and will be unveiled at a date to be announced.

Chestertons will have 29 offices in London and 20 overseas, while Humbers will operate the 24 existing branches outside the M25. Humberts has also announced that it is looking to open 20 new branches within the M25 over the next three years, initially looking to expand within the Home Counties.

Chesterton Humberts’ CEO Robert Bartlett said of the Chesterton re-brand: “We needed a fresh new brand to celebrate all of the changes taking place within the company and to reflect the business that we are today, as opposed to the business that we were back in 2009, or indeed the business we started out as in 1805.

“The whole company is incredibly excited about the new brand and the future of the company as the residential specialist focusing on the London and international markets, and I hope our clients and the general public share our excitement when the new branding becomes a regular high street fixture from June.”

Giles Milner, Chesterton Humberts’ marketing director, said: “This has been one of the biggest projects the company has ever undertaken and I am very happy with the results.

“The new branding genuinely represents the Chestertons of the past, the present and, most importantly, the future: it is bold, confident and dynamic; it is modern, but unafraid to acknowledge and appreciate the heritage and more traditional elements of the business; it is professional yet by no means nondescript – it has real personality.”