Last Friday, EYE broke the news that the eight-branch Isle of Wight business of Hose Rhodes Dickson was being acquired by Leaders Romans Group.

At that time LRG was unwilling to confirm details of the deal but yesterday afternoon a reported statement from the HRD directors said:

“We can confirm that we have agreed to a partnership with Leaders Romans Group, which is due to complete next month.

“We want to reassure our customers and the residents across the Isle of Wight that any change of ownership will not affect our name, our values or our knowledgeable local team.

“Our customers can expect the same high-quality service at every point of their experience with us.

“Hose Rhodes Dickson will always be a local company, led by Isle of Wight based directors, who are committed to supporting the community.”

Hose Rhodes Dickson was formed by Jeff Hose and Mark Rhodes, with Richard Dickson subsequently joining the pair. All have since retired.

It is understood that the HRD auction business is unaffected by the sale, with the Auction Rooms Managing Director, Warren Riches, reported as saying:

“In light of the recent news that our friends – the Isle of Wight’s largest independent estate agents, Hose Rhodes Dickson – are being taken over by the mainland-based Leaders Romans Group, we wanted to assure all our bidders, buyers and sellers that HRD Auction Rooms are, and remain, an independent, privately-owned Isle of Wight business.”

Leaders Romans Group agrees to buy eight-branch estate agency