DB Roberts

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.

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

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

• Residential property sales
• Lettings management
• Property auctions
• Mortgage advisory
• Conveyancing referrals

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Sales Commission: Commission from property sales transactions
2. Lettings Management Fees: Monthly management fees from landlords: Managed 12%+VAT, Rent collection 8%+VAT, HMO 10%+VAT
3. Set Up Fees: Initial setup fees for lettings: Managed/Rent collection £400+VAT, Let only = first month's rent+VAT, HMO £200+VAT
4. Conveyancing Referrals: Referral fees from recommended conveyancers: AVRillo £250, Simply Conveyancing £250 per transaction
5. Mortgage Referrals: Referral fees from Mortgage Advice Bureau averaging £157 per referral
6. Buyer AML Checks: Anti-money laundering checks: £20+VAT first buyer, £10+VAT additional buyers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iamsoldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK'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 BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred 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 ConveyancingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended conveyancing partner. DB Roberts receives £250 referral fee per transaction.
• Simply ConveyancingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended conveyancing partner. DB Roberts receives £250 referral fee per transaction.
• RightmovecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor property portal where DB Roberts lists properties for sale and rent, reaching widest UK property audience.
• ZooplacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor property portal listing partner for property advertisements.
• OnTheMarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty portal listing partner.
• PrimeLocationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty portal listing partner.
• RICScoreOthersRoyal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - regulatory body. DB Roberts lettings team are regulated by RICS ensuring compliance with ever-changing legislation.
• Propertymark (ARLA/NAEA)coreOthersIndustry trade body for letting and estate agents. DB Roberts is a member providing credibility and client money protection.
• The Property Ombudsman (TPOS)coreOthersIndependent redress scheme for resolving complaints. DB Roberts is a member providing consumer protection.
• Trading StandardsminorOthersConsumer protection partnership providing additional credibility.
• National and Local House BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/propertycentres
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCH8xPtLWVF8NlVFqM8XWzQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/DBRobertsPropertyCentres
• Instagraminstagram.com/dbrobertsproperty/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/db-roberts

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 DB Roberts