Bensons
Bensons (R Benson & Son) is a Coleraine-headquartered Northern Ireland estate agency, founded 1978, providing residential, commercial, agricultural, and land sales, valuations, auctions, and mortgage advisory, with retained valuation panels for major banks and a London office.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersColeraine, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bensons does
Bensons (legally R Benson & Son, partnership between Dan Henry and Columb Henry) is a Northern Ireland-based estate agency founded in 1978 and headquartered at 9 Dunmore Street, Coleraine, with a secondary office at 121 Park Lane, Mayfair, London. The firm provides residential, commercial, agricultural, and land property sales across the North Coast region from Strabane to Ballymena, supplemented by farm sales, auction services (handling events from 100 to over 1,000 lots), property valuations, and a mortgage advisory service currently under development. Its institutional relationships include retained positions on the valuation panels of First Trust Bank, Danske Bank, and Bank of Ireland, alongside selling agency mandates with developers including Braidwater Group, Hagan Homes, and Brian Devine Homes. Bensons operates a traditional estate-agency model delivered through physical offices and a property-listing website (bensonsni.com) built on APEX27 Ltd software for property management, customer data processing, and email alert registration.
The business makes money primarily through transaction-based commission on property sales (residential, commercial, farm, and land), transaction fees from auction services, professional-service fees from bank valuation panel work, and referrals/advisory fees from mortgages. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales anchored by the Coleraine headquarters and the Mayfair office, with a website self-serve layer for listings and alerts and partner referrals through the Guild of Property Professionals national network. Bensons is regulated by RICS (with FRICS-accredited founder and RICS Registered Valuer coverage), NAEA, and The Property Ombudsman Scheme, and is a member of the Guild of Property Professionals. The company is a privately held family partnership with 11–50 employees and no external investment, no parent company, and no public listing.
Bensons firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bensons
- Legal name
- Dan Henry & Columb Henry, trading as R Benson & Son
- Website
- https://bensonsni.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bensons (R Benson & Son) is a Coleraine-headquartered Northern Ireland estate agency, founded 1978, providing residential, commercial, agricultural, and land sales, valuations, auctions, and mortgage advisory, with retained valuation panels for major banks and a London office.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bensons industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312), Offices of Real Estate Appraisers (53132)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal Advisory (FSAEAJAI), Real Estate Auction Services (FSAEAJAL)
Keywords
Where Bensons is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coleraine
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bensons business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Property Sales Commission: Traditional estate agency commission on residential, commercial, agricultural, and land property sales. The company acts as selling agent for property transactions.
- Auction Services: Auction services for house clearance sales, farm sales, agricultural equipment, antiques, and general furnishings. Organises and coordinates auctions ranging from 100 to over 1000 lots.
- Mortgage Referrals: Provides mortgage advisory services and refers customers to financial services. Page indicates a new mortgages service is under construction.
- Property Valuations: Valuation services for property owners, retained on valuation panels for major banks including First Trust, Danske Bank, and Bank of Ireland.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Residential Property Sales |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auction Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bensons product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bensons is a Northern Ireland estate agency providing residential, commercial, agricultural, and land property sales, auctions, valuations, and mortgage advisory services. The firm handles full property transaction lifecycles from listing to completion, supported by an online property search portal and operates from Coleraine and London offices. It also acts as selling agent for new home developments by partner builders and provides retained valuation services to major banks.
Product overview
Bensons (R Benson and Son) is a traditional estate agency operating as a single unified service rather than a modular platform. The core offering centers on property sales and lettings across residential, commercial, and agricultural segments. Supporting services include property auctions, valuations, farm sales, and mortgage advisory. The company maintains an extensive property listings portfolio covering Northern Ireland from Strabane to Ballymena, with a particular focus on the North Coast region. A digital component includes property alerts and member login functionality for saving searches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Property Sales Residential and commercial property sales service covering listings from Strabane through to Ballymena, acting for major banks and maintaining a diverse portfolio of builders and commercial clients. Targets individual residential buyers/sellers, commercial property clients, and institutional valuation panel members.
- Auctions Property and asset auction services handling house clearance sales, farm sales, agricultural equipment, antiques, and stock clearances. Auction experience spans sales ranging from 100 lots to over 1000 lots. Targets property owners, estates, farmers, and individuals requiring auctioneering services.
- Property Valuations Independent property valuation service provided to property owners and to major banks via retained valuation panels (First Trust, Danske Bank, Bank of Ireland). Also acts for most of the major banks. Carried out by RICS Registered Valuers.
- Farm Sales Specialized agricultural and farm property sales services targeting farm owners, agricultural land holders, and family estates requiring specialist rural property transactions.
- New Developments (New Homes) Selling agency service for new residential developments including first homes, family homes, holiday homes, and downsizing properties. Bensons acts as selling agent for partner builders including Braidwater Group, Hagan Homes, and Brian Devine Homes Ltd, handling all sales enquiries and viewings.
- Commercial Sales Commercial property sales service covering commercial buildings, sites, and commercial premises across Northern Ireland. Targets commercial clients, builders, and property investors.
- Mortgage Advisory Service Mortgage advisory service under construction providing customers with mortgage guidance and referrals to financial services. Targets residential property buyers seeking mortgage arrangement support.
- Property Consultancy Advisory services for old family estates and complex property transactions including family estate sales, portfolio transactions, and broader property consultancy across Northern Ireland.
Companies that use Bensons
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Bensons technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bensons partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Guild of Property ProfessionalscoreAs a Member of The Guild, Bensons demonstrates commitment to local, regional and national marketing. Part of a national network of offices working together. Adheres to highest standards of estate agency practice with access to wider marketing and better service through the network. Guild has strict Code of Conduct ensuring members are qualified RICS members or Property Ombudsman members.
- RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)coreBensons is a regulated firm with RICS. Founder Columb Henry is a fully FRICS accredited member. Dan Henry is a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor and member of the RICS Registered Valuers scheme. The IAVI (Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute) amalgamated with RICS.
- NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents)coreBensons is a regulated firm with NAEA. Dan Henry completed membership of the National Association of Estate Agents and became a fully qualified member in 2014.
- The Property OmbudsmancoreBensons is a member of The Property Ombudsman Scheme, providing consumer protection and dispute resolution for property transactions.
- First Trust BankmajorBensons is currently retained on the valuation panel for First Trust Bank, providing property valuation services for their mortgage and lending processes.
- Danske BankmajorBensons is currently retained on the valuation panel for Danske Bank, providing property valuation services for their mortgage and lending processes.
- Bank of IrelandmajorBensons is currently retained on the valuation panel for Bank of Ireland, providing property valuation services for their mortgage and lending processes.
- Braidwater GroupmajorBensons acts as selling agent for Roe Wood development by Braidwater Group in Limavady. Braidwater Group has over 40 years' experience in the industry and is located in Eglinton with operations throughout Northern Ireland. Bensons handles all sales enquiries and viewings.
- Martin King French IngramminorRecommended solicitors panel for Roe Wood development. Contact: Keith Leighton at 028 7776 2307. £250 reduction off final Braidwater account when using panel solicitors.
- Macaulay WrayminorRecommended solicitors panel for Roe Wood development. Contact: Joe Diamond at 028 7035 2421. £250 reduction off final Braidwater account when using panel solicitors.
- Connolly & BradleyminorRecommended solicitors panel for Roe Wood development. Contact: Eamon McLaughlin at 028 7776 7200. £250 reduction off final Braidwater account when using panel solicitors.
- Hagan HomesmajorBensons acts as selling agent for Foxleigh Meadow development by Hagan Homes in Ballymoney. Hagan Homes is described as building homes 'made for living today and building your future - thoughtfully designed, carefully built, and rooted in what matters.'
- Brian Devine Homes LtdmajorBensons acts as selling agent for Mount Pleasant development by Brian Devine Homes Ltd in Coleraine and The Watch House development in Castlerock. Brian Devine Homes is described as well known for high quality workmanship and craftsmanship.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bensons competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Connells Group: UK's largest estate agency network with extensive residential sales, mortgage, and valuation services. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for mid-market residential flow and lender valuation panels.
- Savills: Global real estate services firm with UK-wide residential, valuation, and auction capabilities. Comparable as a valuation and upper-tier residential competitor, particularly relevant for Bensons' London Mayfair catchment and high-value coastal listings.
- Knight Frank: International property consultancy offering residential sales, valuation, and advisory services. Comparable in valuation expertise and HNW buyer representation relevant to Bensons' Mayfair office footprint.
Emerging players
- Purplebricks: UK online/hybrid estate agency offering fixed-fee sales. Comparable as a disruptive model targeting the same mid-market residential segment Bensons serves, but with structurally lower cost-to-serve.
Regional players
- Reeds Rains: UK high-street estate agency with a regional branch network. Comparable in traditional agency model and customer base, though primarily England-focused rather than competing head-to-head in NI.
Others
- PropertyPal: Northern Ireland's leading property listings portal. Comparable as a key distribution channel and indirect competitor, since buyers increasingly originate search on PropertyPal before engaging traditional agents like Bensons.
Direct peers
- Robert Wilson Estate Agents: NI-based estate agency covering residential, commercial, and agricultural sales. Directly overlaps Bensons' diversified service mix and farm/land brokerage capability.
- Templeton Robinson: Belfast-based estate and lettings agency with a strong regional brand across Northern Ireland. Comparable as a multi-branch NI residential agency competing for the same mid-market segment.
- Armstrong Estate Agents: Northern Ireland estate agency with multiple branches handling residential sales, valuations, and lettings. Comparable in business model, customer base (mid-market residential sellers/buyers), and regulatory positioning.
- McAfee Estate Agents: Coleraine-headquartered residential and commercial estate agency operating across the Causeway Coast. Directly comparable to Bensons on geography, service mix, and target customers in the North Coast market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bensons social profiles
Digital presenceBensons compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Bensons financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bensons leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bensons funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bensons 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 Bensons
What does Bensons do?
Bensons is a Northern Ireland estate agency providing residential, commercial, agricultural, and land property sales, auctions, valuations, and mortgage advisory services. The firm handles full property transaction lifecycles from listing to completion, supported by an online property search portal and operates from Coleraine and London offices. It also acts as selling agent for new home developments by partner builders and provides retained valuation services to major banks.
Is Bensons a public or private company?
Bensons is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Bensons founded?
Bensons was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bensons based?
Bensons is headquartered in Coleraine, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bensons make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Property Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are auction Services, mortgage Referrals and property Valuations.
Who are Bensons's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Connells Group, Savills and Knight Frank. Purplebricks is listed as an emerging player. Reeds Rains is listed as a regional player. PropertyPal is listed as an others. Direct peers are Robert Wilson Estate Agents, Templeton Robinson, Armstrong Estate Agents and McAfee Estate Agents.
Does Bensons have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bensons.
What industry is Bensons in?
Bensons's product category is Residential Real Estate Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAJ, Buyer Representation Services, with a secondary code of FSAEAJAI, Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal Advisory. Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 6531.