Hunters Estate Agents

What Hunters Estate Agents does

Hunters Estate Agents is a UK-based estate and lettings agency founded in 1992 in York by John Waterhouse and Kevin Hollinrake, operating today as a franchise network of over 200 independently owned branches across England and Wales. The company provides residential property sales services on a no-sale-no-fee commission model alongside a three-tier lettings platform (Tenant Find, Rent Collection, Fully Managed) for landlords, supported by add-on services including Hunters Exclusive premium marketing, Hunters Auctions (via the 2025 JW Auctions acquisition), conveyancing, property valuations, and a 24/7 My Hunters customer portal for transaction tracking.

The underlying technology stack combines a national property-listing platform integrated with the major UK property portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, Prime Location), 360° virtual viewing capability, Fixflo cloud maintenance reporting, MortgageGym online mortgage matching via Embrace Financial Services, Smart Search AML/KYC verification, and a deposit-free renting product via flatfair. Hunters Franchising Limited operates the franchise system, while the corporate parent is The Property Franchise Group, a diversified UK property-franchise conglomerate.

Hunters' revenue is generated through a mix of sales commissions on completed transactions, recurring monthly fees on managed lettings, one-off fees on tenant-find and rent-collection services, franchise fees from independently owned branches, and referral fees from partner providers (mortgages, conveyancing, insurance, deposit alternatives). Customer segments span property sellers, buyers, landlords, and tenants served across a horizontally segmented residential-use-case base, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B customer concentration. The business model is highly exposed to UK housing-market transaction volumes and macro housing-cycle dynamics.

Name

Hunters Estate Agents

Legal name

Hunters

Website

https://hunters.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hunters Estate Agents is a UK franchise network of 200+ branches founded in 1992, providing residential property sales, three-tier lettings management, auctions, mortgages, and conveyancing services to sellers, buyers, landlords, and tenants across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sales Commission: Commission-based estate agency services for property sales. The company operates on a 'no sale, no fee' basis, meaning agents are only paid upon successful completion of a property transaction.
2. Lettings/Management Fees: Three-tier landlord service packages: Tenant Find (let-only), Rent Collection, and Fully Managed. Fees vary by service level and property management scope.
3. Referral Fees: Referral fees from recommended third-party service providers including conveyancing solicitors, mortgage advisors, and other property-related services. Referral fees disclosed on branch pages.
4. Deposit Alternative (flatfair): Partnership with flatfair for deposit-free renting scheme. Tenants pay 28% of first month's rent + VAT as membership fee.
5. Insurance Products: Rent protection insurance and contents/liability insurance products offered through partnerships, with negotiated discounts through HomeLet.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hunters is a UK franchised estate and lettings agency providing residential property sales, three-tier landlord services (Tenant Find, Rent Collection, Fully Managed), Hunters Exclusive premium marketing, property auctions, and introductions to mortgage, conveyancing, deposit-free renting, and insurance partners. Operations are delivered through 200+ independently owned branches under The Property Franchise Group, using a "no sale, no fee" sales commission model and tiered management fees, supported by an online portal (My Hunters), virtual viewings, and listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket.

Product overview

Hunters Estate Agents is a UK-wide estate and lettings agency operating since 1992, with over 200 independently owned franchised branches across key regions including London, Bristol, Midlands, Manchester, and East Anglia. The core offering is a dual-track property platform: Property Sales Services (including Hunters Exclusive for premium properties) and Property Lettings Services, available in three tiers — Tenant Find, Rent Collection, and Fully Managed. These core services are supported by integrated add-on modules including Mortgage Services (via Embrace Financial Services), Property Auctions, Conveyancing Services, Property Valuation, Deposit-Free Renting (via flatfair), Landlord Health & Wealth Check, Rent Protection Insurance, Landlord Insurance (via HomeLet), and Professional Services (land, new homes, PRS, block management). Hunters also provides a Property Marketing service powering listings across Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, Prime Location, and The Daily Telegraph. The company follows a no sale/no let, no fee model, meaning commission is only charged upon successful completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hunters Exclusive: Premium property service offering bespoke marketing plans for high-value homes with a no sale or let, no fee guarantee
• Hunters Auctions

Products and services

• Property Sales Services Full-service estate agency offering residential property sales including valuation, bespoke marketing, accompanied viewings, offer negotiation, sales progression, and exchange/completion support through a national network of independently owned branches.
• Property Lettings Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 98% of buyers start property search online
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• flatfaircoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with flatfair for deposit-free renting services. Tenants pay 28% of first month's rent + VAT as membership fee instead of traditional 5-week deposit. This partnership provides an alternative revenue stream and competitive differentiation for landlord services.
• Embrace Financial ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Embrace Financial Services for mortgage broking and protection advice. Hunters acts as an introducer, with Embrace providing tailored mortgage advice and charging fees ranging from £499 to £999. Also provides MortgageGym online service for instant mortgage matching.
• The Property Franchise GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Hunters franchise network. Hunters Franchising Limited operates the franchise model with independently owned branches. The Property Franchise Group's Training Academy provides staff training and development.
• Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarketcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProperty portal partnerships for listing properties and reaching maximum audience of potential buyers and tenants.
• HomeLetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner providing 30% discount on contents and liability cover for landlords. Referral arrangement for insurance products.
• PropertyMarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership organization for estate and letting agents. JW Auctions is a member of PropertyMark and the Client Money Protection Scheme.
• The Property Ombudsman (TPOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory membership providing independent dispute resolution service for consumers. Hunters is a member of TPOS.
• JW AuctionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJW Auctions Limited operates Hunters Auctions service for property sales at auction. Registered address at Azets, Triune Court, Monks Cross Drive, York, YO32 9GZ. Independently owned and operated with written consent of Hunters Franchising Limited.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Yopa: UK hybrid estate agency combining online self-service with local agents. Targets the same home-seller segment as Hunters but with a lower fixed-fee model and lighter branch infrastructure.
• Purplebricks: Online/hybrid estate agency offering lower-fee listings with local property agents. Competes for the same UK sellers and landlords with a digital-first proposition that challenges traditional full-service agencies like Hunters.

Others

• The Property Franchise Group (parent): Listed parent company of Hunters and other UK residential property franchises. Provides the franchise operating platform, central marketing and Training Academy that Hunters leverages; relevant as the parent rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Foxtons: London-centric estate and lettings agency operating its own branches. Comparable core estate and letting agency services targeting residential buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in UK cities.
• Belvoir Group: UK franchised network specializing in lettings and property management with a multi-tier landlord service model. Highly comparable franchise structure and letting-led revenue mix, also owned via a franchise parent group.
• Martin & Co: Long-running UK franchise letting agency also owned by The Property Franchise Group. Comparable franchise model, three-tier landlord services and TPFG parentage make it the closest peer within the same corporate family.
• Winkworth: UK franchise estate and letting agency with a national network of independently owned offices. Closely comparable franchise model, dual sales-and-lettings offering and UK-wide footprint.

Regional players

• Chestertons: UK and international estate and lettings agency with strong London and prime Home Counties presence. Comparable premium residential sales and lettings proposition to Hunters Exclusive and London branches.

Broad incumbents

• Savills: Global real estate services firm with a substantial UK residential sales and lettings practice. Comparable on premium property marketing (akin to Hunters Exclusive) and broader property services, with broader geographic and institutional reach.
• Countrywide (Connells Group): Largest UK estate and lettings agency network under the Connells Group umbrella. Overlaps heavily on residential sales, lettings and mortgage referrals with a much larger branch count and corporate-owned model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HuntersHomes
• Facebookfacebook.com/HuntersEstateAgent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hunters-estate-agents?originalSubdomain=uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/huntershomes/?hl=en

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hunters Estate Agents