Estate agency bought by regional firm

Coast and Castle has been acquired by Signature, one of the North East’s most successful estate agents with 18 branches across Tyne and Wear.

Coast and Castle was founded in 2012 by directors Colin and Karen Parker and quickly gained a reputation for providing a premium sales and marketing service at a highly competitive commission.

Signature’s managing director Mark Small said: “I am delighted to be incorporating Coast and Castle into the Signature group. This acquisition allows us to expand into the Northumberland area and further develop an existing and very successful local brand.”

Coast and Castle’s managing director, Karen Parker, said: “Colin and I have other business interests and we feel the time is right to hand over the further expansion of Coast and Castle to Mark, who shares our passion for property and customer service.

“We won’t be severing our ties with Coast and Castle completely as Colin will be acting as a consultant to Mark over the next 12 months and integrating our industry-leading internet marketing strategies into the Signature group.

“We would like to thank all of our past clients who have bought and sold property with us and we feel that being part of the Signature group will bring even greater benefits to our existing clients.”

Coast and Castle, which developed from an online agency, was originally based at Alnwick’s Cawledge Industrial Estate, but in 2014, after the company had gone from strength to strength in the previous year, it moved to its new home on Bondgate Within.