Empty Property Hunters

Empty Property Hunters: buying and revitalising empty homes in the UK

Empty Property Hunters is a consortium of property investors and developers based in London that specialises in locating, acquiring and refurbishing empty homes to turn them into habitable residences. The company presents itself as a team with over 50 years of combined experience in tracing owners, acquiring vacant properties and transforming them into opportunities for community growth. It has access to £10 million in cash funds and the capacity to purchase 100 properties per year.

A model based on the 'hunters' network

The project structures its activity around a network of local collaborators, known as 'hunters', who identify empty homes in their area and share the details with the team. For each property reported, the company gives a £20 gift card through the Giftcloud platform, redeemable at hundreds of retailers. If the property is eventually purchased, the 'hunter' also receives a finder's fee equivalent to 1% of the purchase price.

The company justifies this model against the alternative of building an in-house scouting team, which would have required an investment of over £200,000, and argues that local residents know their neighbourhoods better than anyone.

How it works

The process described by the company begins with receiving the details of the empty property by email, phone or WhatsApp. A specialist tracing team then locates the owners, even in the most difficult cases, verifying the property details and exploring purchase opportunities. Tailored offers are then presented, adapted to each owner's circumstances, and the entire process is managed through to the transaction. Once acquired, the property is refurbished to turn it into a home.

Owner and collaborator profiles

The company works with owners of empty properties, as well as executors and beneficiaries managing inherited properties. It also works with local investors and landlords through joint venture agreements to access hard-to-find empty homes. In addition, it collaborates with local councils and communities to tackle the problem of empty homes.

Impact and figures

According to data published by the company, there are over one million empty homes in England, of which 265,000 have been unused for more than six months. Empty Property Hunters states it has revitalised 127 homes and paid £65,275 in vouchers to its 'hunters'. The company says it has contributed to charities such as Shelter, Mind and Help for Heroes, and has worked with local councils to address the housing crisis. It also donates £250 to a local charity chosen by the seller for every property acquired.

Management team

The company is led by Simon Taylor and Adam Harvey as co-founders. Robert Gold is Head of Acquisitions, Richard Jankel is Chairman, and Austin Lipman, Jonathan Goldwyn, Ethan Kessel and Jason Lipman are part of the acquisitions team. Abigail Rising is Senior Tracer and Researcher, Emily Drury leads research, Thomas Conlon and Lara Gould are researchers, and Kelsey Saunders serves as office manager and head of administrative operations.

Complementary areas of activity

In addition to buying and refurbishing residential homes, the company mentions specific lines of work such as biohazard homes, assisted living, council projects and joint ventures with investors.

Location and contact

102 Rookery Court, 80 Ruckholt Road, London, England, E10 5FA · Phone: 020 7871 5899