Emeria enters the United Kingdom to become theworld leader in residential property management
he Emeria group (formerly the Foncia group), fresh from generating over a billion euros in
revenue in 2021, is continuing its international growth by establishing itself in the United
Kingdom with the acquisition of FirstPort, making it the world leader in residential property
management.
With Philippe Salle at the helm since late 2017, Emeria, which is owned on behalf of its clients by
Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, has pursued a development strategy geared
toward customer satisfaction, digitalisation, and a policy of acquisitions in France and internationally.
The purchase of FirstPort, a UK leader in joint property management, aligns perfectly with this strategy.
Once the deal is completed, Emeria will be present in eight countries, with 700 branches in Europe and
more than 17,000 employees, serving over 3.5 million customers. The Group generated revenue of
over €1.2 billion in 2021, and with its acquisition of FirstPort, will become the world leader in
residential property management.
Emeria enters the United Kingdom
Emeria continues its international development strategy with the acquisition of FirstPort, the UK leader
in residential property management services.
FirstPort operates in England, Scotland and Wales, and generates revenue of €120 million with the help
of 4,000 employees. The company’s main business is joint property management, but it is also present
in the rental management and real estate brokerage markets.
For Emeria President and Chief Executive Officer Philippe Salle, “With this acquisition, a French
group such as Emeria will become the world leader in its sector. This is a source of immense pride for
all our teams. Our new position as world leader brings a responsibility toward our customers wherever
we operate. The Group’s objective is to improve our quality of service, in particular by accelerating the
digitalisation of our tools, which will enhance both responsiveness and transparency.”
For Kim Nguyen, Partner, Co-Head Private Equity Services, Partners Group, Board member of
Emeria, “The acquisition of FirstPort is an important milestone of Emeria’s value creation journey. Our
vision was to enter the United Kingdom at scale and become the number one player in the top three
markets in Europe: UK, France and Germany. There are tangible synergies between Emeria’s existing
brands, such as Foncia, and FirstPort. We plan to build on these to capture new revenue streams and
add ancillary services. Additionally, Emeria’s digital expertise and strong integration track record in other
countries can be leveraged to further expand FirstPort’s footprint.”
For FirstPort Chief Executive Officer Nigel Howell, “By joining Emeria, the world leader in residential
property management, we demonstrate our ambition: to bring our customers the benefits of more
services while maintaining our close relationships with them, through the strength of a large group that
has invested tens of millions of euros in its digitalisation.”
A key step in the Group’s international growth
Through it various brands, Emeria already occupies leading positions in its markets:
- #1 in France with Constatimmo, Foncia, Foncia immo neuf, Optissimmo, Stares and Tech-Way;
- #1 in Germany with Reanovo;
- #1 in Belgium with OP and Trevi;
- #2 in Switzerland with DBS Group, Brolliet Domicim and Gribi;
and becomes #1 in the United Kingdom with FirstPort.
Having acquired nearly 300 companies since 2016, the Group is also present in Luxembourg, and since
early 2022, in the Netherlands and Portugal. Emeria is also expanding its digital business with
Assurimo, Efficity, Le Bon Syndic, Lodgis and Seiitra. In addition, the Group is Europe’s number one in
BtoB property management, present via Esset in four countries, including in France with Cogeva PM,
Humakey and Foncia Valorisation.
Philippe Salle plans to continue Emeria’s growth in France and internationally.