Spicerhaart

The company has its origins in 1989,[1] where father and son Alick and Paul Smith opened three branches of Spicer McColl in East Anglia. They took over 45 Darlows branches in 2000[2] when that company went into receivership, and acquired the South Yorkshire company Haybrook in 2007.[3]

Spicerhaart purchased iSold estate agents (formerly Tesco Property Market) from Tesco plc in 2008, after it was ruled that Tesco could not act as an estate agent without being registered as such. Spicerhaart and Tesco are now involved in a legal dispute.[4]

Spicerhaart acquired Butters John Bee one of the agencies in the North West as well as Brian Holt Estate Agents in 2018 which is an agency that has been established for over 75 years in the Coventry and Warwickshire area.

Spicerhaart came under criticism during the Covid-19 outbreak by terminating hundreds of staff the day prior to the furlough scheme. When the option of reemploying these staff and placing them on furlough, which would have cost them nothing, became an option they heartlessly refused.

The method of their termination, a callous two minute phone call, has also been seen as particularly ruthless and not in compliance with employment law.

They continue to re-edit their page, to remove this part of their shameful history, but it will continue to be added as it is factually correct.

Paul Smith is CEO and John Spence OBE is the Non-Executive Chairman. The company's headquarters and contact centre are in Colchester, Essex.

Spicerhaart currently trade under the following brands:

• Chewton Rose (South England and Midlands)
• Darlows (Cardiff and Wales)
• Felicity J Lord (London area)
• Haart (across England)
• Haybrook (South Yorkshire)
• Valunation
• Spicerhaart Financial Services
• Just Mortgages
• Spicerhaart Land and New Homes
• Butters John Bee (Staffordshire,Cheshire & Shropshire)
• Brian Holt (Coventry)
• Howards (Norfolk)