Cheltenham estate agency under new ownership

One of Cheltenham’s best known bricks-and-mortar estate agents, Peter Ball & Co, has a new owner.

The estate agency, formed 25 years ago by husband-and-wife team Peter and Linda Ball, has been bought by Bicester-headquartered Alexander & Co. The purchase price was undisclosed.

Alexander & Co, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year, is one of the largest estate agents in the south east, with most of its offices in Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It specialises in residential sales, lettings, property management, and new homes.

“This is a great opportunity for us to build on the reputation that Peter Ball has established over more than two decades and help the business in the Cheltenham area to grow,” said Paul Broomham, commercial director for Alexander & Co.

“Having the agency as part of our wider estate agent family gives us a physical footprint in the Gloucestershire area, with experienced teams, each with solid local knowledge.

Peter Ball has five branches, in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Bishops Cleeve, Leckhampton and Charlton Kings.

Paul added: “We’ve now upgraded the digital systems and so customers will be able to access more on-line support and facilities.”

Alexander & Co employs more than 120 staff, representing around 2,000 local landlords and 3,500 buyers and sellers.

Peter Ball, who is retiring along with his wife, said: ‘‘In a world where modern technology is on the rise, we've never lost sight of the fact that it's real people with real families and real lives, who always come first. Working with a company like Alexander & Co, who shares our ethos will only enhance the ways that we can serve our clients and enable us to become stronger together.”