ACQUISITION SERVICES SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
We caught up with Aaron Cambden at Fairview Estate Agents to discuss their recent acquisition experience, Atomic Consultancy supported them as their Project Manager on this deal.
Tell us a little about your business’s growth plans?
We’d been growing slowly and organically over the last 11 years, mainly via word of mouth. In the last 12 months, we decided we had a good team in place, the business had a strong set-up, so we wanted to push things forward in order to expand more quickly.
We found the perfect business to buy and decided to go for it. I’d seen Lucy on LinkedIn and was familiar with her work, having witnessed the ongoing support she’d given a lot of other businesses in the sector.
It was this that pushed me to reach out for her help.
Why did you appoint Atomic Consultancy as your project manager?
Having simply never been down this avenue before, it was new territory to us, and I didn’t want to risk getting it wrong.
We didn’t know where to start so knew that the sensible approach would be to get someone with expertise to support us. Lucy seemed incredibly knowledgeable, well connected, and I believed she was the right fit for us.
How did Atomic Consultancy help?
She helped us enormously! Lucy guided us through the whole process from start to finish, leading us in the right direction. We’d have had no idea what we were doing without her, and Lucy allowed us to seamlessly navigate the process – which is a total minefield!
What challenges did you face?
There are always challenges to be expected on journeys like these in business, and there were times when I genuinely feared the deal could fall through.
But thanks to Lucy, this was not the case. Every hurdle was dealt with and negotiated efficiently, and Lucy supported us every step of the way.
What lessons did you learn?
I think the biggest learning curve for me was understanding that you’re not just buying a product when you buy a business – you’re buying from people, including their assets and by default, people have genuine attachments to these.
You need to navigate that carefully, managing personalities and relationships to ensure you keep everyone happy.
What advice would you give to other agents looking to acquire?
Don’t think about it, do it! It completely depends on your end game but if you’re looking to grow your business it’s a great way to do so. Just ensure that you know what your end goals are.
It’s a process that has been great for our long-term goals and the acquisition has been hugely successful for our business.
I’d also say it’s incredibly important to choose a broker based on your relationship with them. Pick someone who compliments you, who you can gel with and work seamlessly alongside.
For us, that was Lucy. I’m so grateful we had her throughout the journey.