DB Roberts
DB Roberts is an independent UK estate agency founded in 1964, operating six branches across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and West Midlands. It provides residential property sales, lettings and property management, auctions, mortgage advice, and conveyancing referrals to individual buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersShrewsbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DB Roberts does
DB Roberts is an independent UK estate agency founded in 1964 and headquartered at Shrewsbury Business Park, providing residential property services across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands. The company operates a six-branch physical network in Shrewsbury, Stafford, Telford, Wolverhampton, Oakengates, and Wellington, supported by a centralized marketing hub and customer support function at its head office. Its service portfolio spans property sales, lettings and property management, HMO management, residential property auctions (in partnership with iamsold), mortgage advice (in-house since 1964), conveyancing referrals, and new homes sales with national and local house builders.
The underlying technology stack is conventional for a UK regional estate agency: an online property search platform integrated with the four major UK property portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, PrimeLocation), an Anti-Money Laundering check workflow operated through the third-party Movebutler system, and client money protection infrastructure with funds ring-fenced at Barclays Bank. No proprietary AI, machine learning, or advanced data products are present in the stack. Regulatory credentials include RICS regulation for lettings, NAEA Propertymark and ARLA Propertymark Protected membership, TPOS (The Property Ombudsman) scheme registration, and Trading Standards accreditation.
DB Roberts generates revenue through a multi-stream model: sales commissions on property transactions, recurring monthly lettings management fees (8-12%+VAT depending on service tier, plus HMO at 10%+VAT), one-time setup fees, and per-transaction referral income from Mortgage Advice Bureau (averaging £157 per referral) and conveyancing partners AVRillo and Simply Conveyancing (£250 per transaction each). Customer-facing pricing also includes small per-buyer AML check fees (£20+VAT first buyer, £10+VAT additional). Customers are predominantly individual residential buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants across the firm's three operating regions, with no institutional or enterprise clients identified. The company is privately held and managed, led by Managing Director Jo Culley and Chairman Bill Brookes, with no external institutional investors or parent company structure disclosed.
DB Roberts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DB Roberts
- Legal name
- DB Roberts & Partners Ltd
- Website
- https://dbroberts.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- DB Roberts is an independent UK estate agency founded in 1964, operating six branches across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and West Midlands. It provides residential property sales, lettings and property management, auctions, mortgage advice, and conveyancing referrals to individual buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DB Roberts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Estate Agency Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Residential Property Managers (531311), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seller Representation & Listing Services (BPAJAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Retail Residential Mortgage Brokers (Purchase & Refinance) (FSALABAA)
Keywords
Where DB Roberts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shrewsbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
DB Roberts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Sales Commission: Commission from property sales transactions
- Lettings Management Fees: Monthly management fees from landlords: Managed 12%+VAT, Rent collection 8%+VAT, HMO 10%+VAT
- Set Up Fees: Initial setup fees for lettings: Managed/Rent collection £400+VAT, Let only = first month's rent+VAT, HMO £200+VAT
- Conveyancing Referrals: Referral fees from recommended conveyancers: AVRillo £250, Simply Conveyancing £250 per transaction
- Mortgage Referrals: Referral fees from Mortgage Advice Bureau averaging £157 per referral
- Buyer AML Checks: Anti-money laundering checks: £20+VAT first buyer, £10+VAT additional buyers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Managed Lettings Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rent Collection Service |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Let Only Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | HMO Management |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer AML Checks |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Conveyancing Referrals |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
DB Roberts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DB Roberts is a regional estate agency providing residential property sales, lettings and property management, property auctions, mortgage advisory, and conveyancing referrals across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Services are delivered through six branch offices supported by a centralised Head Office marketing hub, with supplementary offerings including new homes sales, HMO management, and property valuations.
Product overview
DB Roberts is a traditional estate agency offering a comprehensive suite of property services through a hub-and-spoke model. The core portfolio comprises Property Sales, Lettings & Property Management, Property Auctions, Mortgage Advice, Conveyancing referrals, and New Homes sales. These services are delivered through multiple branch offices across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and West Midlands (Shrewsbury, Stafford, Telford, Wolverhampton, Oakengates, Wellington), with a central Head Office acting as the Marketing Centre. Additional offerings include Buyer Services, Tenant Services, Landlord Services, Property Valuations, HMO Management, and Area Guides. The company positions itself as a full-service property expert covering the entire homeownership and rental lifecycle.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Property Sales
- Lettings and Property Management
- Property Auctions
- Mortgage Advice
- Conveyancing Referral
- New Homes Sales
- Property Valuations
- HMO Management
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.8/5 rating based on 1,231 Google Reviews
Companies that use DB Roberts
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DB Roberts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature2 records
DB Roberts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- iamsoldcoreUK's No.1 Residential Property Auction Provider partnership. DB Roberts works in partnership with iamsold to offer property auction services, including Modern Method of Auction and Traditional Auction, providing faster completion timescales and greater security.
- Mortgage Advice BureaucorePreferred mortgage broker partner providing mortgage advice services. DB Roberts receives referral fees averaging £157 per referral. They have access to the entire market plus exclusive deals.
- AVRillo ConveyancingminorRecommended conveyancing partner. DB Roberts receives £250 referral fee per transaction.
- Simply ConveyancingminorRecommended conveyancing partner. DB Roberts receives £250 referral fee per transaction.
- RightmovecoreMajor property portal where DB Roberts lists properties for sale and rent, reaching widest UK property audience.
- ZooplacoreMajor property portal listing partner for property advertisements.
- OnTheMarketminorProperty portal listing partner.
- PrimeLocationminorProperty portal listing partner.
- RICScoreRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - regulatory body. DB Roberts lettings team are regulated by RICS ensuring compliance with ever-changing legislation.
- Propertymark (ARLA/NAEA)coreIndustry trade body for letting and estate agents. DB Roberts is a member providing credibility and client money protection.
- The Property Ombudsman (TPOS)coreIndependent redress scheme for resolving complaints. DB Roberts is a member providing consumer protection.
- Trading StandardsminorConsumer protection partnership providing additional credibility.
- National and Local House BuilderscorePartnership with reputable national and local house builders for new homes sales, including Help to Buy schemes, shared ownership, and part exchange options.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DB Roberts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Savills: Global real estate services firm with significant UK residential presence offering sales, lettings, and property management. Operates in the same UK residential market as DB Roberts but at the upper end of the market, providing competitive pressure in prime segments of DB Roberts' territory.
- Connells Group (formerly Countrywide): Largest UK estate agency group with national branch network covering sales, lettings, mortgages, and conveyancing. While much larger than DB Roberts, it competes for the same customers across overlapping geographies and offers a broader service portfolio that pressures regional independents.
- Knight Frank: International real estate consultancy with established UK residential sales and lettings operations. Serves overlapping customer segments in the UK property market; broader geographic and service footprint makes it an incumbent competitor to regional agencies like DB Roberts.
Direct peers
- Belvoir Group: UK franchised lettings and sales agency with national branch network. Directly comparable business model—multi-branch residential sales and lettings, franchise-driven growth, similar customer base of landlords and sellers. Competes head-to-head with DB Roberts in regional UK markets.
- Winkworth: UK franchised estate agency specializing in residential sales and lettings with branch offices across London and the regions. Comparable multi-branch independent agency model serving similar customer segments; directly competes for landlords and sellers in UK regional markets.
- Hunters Property Group: UK-wide estate agency chain with branch network offering sales, lettings, and property management services. Operates on a similar multi-branch independent-franchise model, competing for the same residential sellers, buyers, and landlords in regional UK markets like DB Roberts' West Midlands territory.
- Martin & Co: UK-wide lettings and sales specialist with extensive branch network focused on residential landlords and sellers. Comparable offering across sales, lettings, and property management, with similar pricing structures and target customer profile to DB Roberts.
Emerging players
- Purplebricks: UK online-first estate agency that disrupted the traditional high-street model with fixed-fee, self-service offerings. Represents the competitive threat of hybrid/digital models that pressure traditional commission structures DB Roberts relies on.
Others
- iamsold: UK's leading residential property auction provider and DB Roberts' strategic auction partner. Adjacent ecosystem participant that enables DB Roberts' auction service line and represents a similar business model in alternative property sales channels.
- Mortgage Advice Bureau: UK mortgage broker network that DB Roberts refers customers to and receives referral fees from. A commercial partner and adjacent ecosystem player; also relevant as a competitive benchmark for the mortgage advice vertical DB Roberts participates in.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DB Roberts social profiles
Digital presenceDB Roberts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
DB Roberts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DB Roberts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
DB Roberts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DB Roberts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DB Roberts
What does DB Roberts do?
DB Roberts is a regional estate agency providing residential property sales, lettings and property management, property auctions, mortgage advisory, and conveyancing referrals across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Services are delivered through six branch offices supported by a centralised Head Office marketing hub, with supplementary offerings including new homes sales, HMO management, and property valuations.
Is DB Roberts a public or private company?
DB Roberts is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was DB Roberts founded?
DB Roberts was founded in 1964. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is DB Roberts based?
DB Roberts is headquartered in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does DB Roberts make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are lettings Management Fees, set Up Fees, conveyancing Referrals, mortgage Referrals and buyer AML Checks.
Who are DB Roberts's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Savills, Connells Group (formerly Countrywide) and Knight Frank. Direct peers are Belvoir Group, Winkworth, Hunters Property Group and Martin & Co. Purplebricks is listed as an emerging player. Others are iamsold and Mortgage Advice Bureau.
Does DB Roberts have an API?
No public API is recorded for DB Roberts.
What industry is DB Roberts in?
DB Roberts's product category is Residential Estate Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAK, Seller Representation & Listing Services, with a secondary code of FSALABAA, Retail Residential Mortgage Brokers (Purchase & Refinance). Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.