A tech-enabled estate agency service has acquired six independent agencies this year so far – three of them in the past fortnight.

Dwelly has until now specialised almost exclusively in lettings agency acquisitions but with its latest acquisition it’s moving into sales too.

The agency’s founders – Ilia Drozdov, Dan Lifshits, and Dmitry Khanukov – are former senior leaders at Uber and the taxi app Gett.

They describe Dwelly as combining “AI-driven automation with local expertise to deliver faster, smarter and more efficient operations.”

The company’s model centres on acquiring independent agencies and packing them with technology to improve efficiency. 

Its latest acquisition – just announced – is Move, with three branches in Cheltenham, Worcester and Gloucester.

Dwelly says its acquisition strategy differs from many larger consolidators within the sector, allowing acquired agencies to continue delivering the local service and relationships they are known for, under their existing brand name, whilst benefiting from improved technology and streamlined workl processes.

Sam Humphreys, head of mergers and acquisitions at Dwelly, comments: “As our acquisition activity has accelerated this year, we’ve remained incredibly focused on the type of businesses we want to partner with.

“Move stood out because it’s a business with deep local roots, a strong culture and a team that genuinely understands its market. Those qualities are incredibly difficult to build and they’re exactly what we value most when looking at acquisitions.

“Our approach is about helping already successful agencies operate even more effectively by improving the infrastructure behind the scenes.

“Through technology and AI-led systems, we’re able to remove much of the manual admin and operational friction that slows teams down, allowing them to spend more time focused on service, relationships and growth.”