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Countrywide property group completes 15 acquisitions

The latest additions in England and Scotland mean that Countrywide Residential Lettings has acquired 18 businesses since the start of 2013 and successfully completed 59 acquisitions since 2007. Countrywide Residential Lettings has also grown organically over recent years through the opening of over 180 new lettings branches since 2010.

Countrywide Residential Lettings made two key acquisitions in Scotland, further strengthening its presence there. In July, Countrywide acquired Portfolio lettings agency in Hamilton and in September Carol Whyte lettings agency in Dundee. The continued network expansion comes off the back of Countrywide’s acquisition of Merchant Lettings in October 2012, when Countrywide doubled the size of its network of lettings branches in Scotland and provided a strong platform for future growth.

Countrywide Residential Lettings’ presence has also been strengthened in Hampshire and Wiltshire following the purchase of the well established and local market leading lettings business WSB Group.  In September, Countrywide acquired Avon Lettings in Amesbury which will combine with WSB Group, strengthening the group’s presence in the local area.

Further acquisitions include the portfolio of Knights of Bath, a long established and highly regarded lettings business, Flats in Leeds, which manages apartments around Leeds city centre, Interlet Property Management, managing over 160 rental properties in Yeovil, South West Estates in St Ives, Cornwall, with a wide-ranging property portfolio, Rufus Stephens, a well known estate and lettings agency in Chandlers Ford, Tingleys, an experienced  local lettings agency in Hove, Plaza Lettings servicing the suburbs of Liverpool, Hawkins a well established agency in Rugby, Newton Abbott based lettings business Property Sales and Rentals, and the portfolios of Fells Gulliver in Lymington and Stoberry Lettings in Wells.

These portfolios have been combined with Countrywide’s existing local estate agency brands to strengthen the group’s local offering.

‘The 15 acquisitions made in the past six months are in line with our strategy of rapid expansion, which includes plans to complete on at least another eight acquisitions before the end of the year. We have fully integrated these businesses within the overall Countrywide lettings model and this has led to strong growth in the lettings division. This is an exciting period for Countrywide Residential Lettings and the growth of our lettings operation continues to be a major focus for the group,’ said Nick Dunning, group commercial director, Countrywide.

John Hards, managing director, Countrywide Residential Lettings, said that 2013 has been a fantastic year of growth so far. ‘Countrywide has a unique ability to grow businesses by ensuring they operate autonomously, retain their local heritage and benefit from Countrywide’s ongoing investment and support. For clients, Countrywide’s structure, scale and all round property expertise enables it to best serve the needs of clients of all sizes; from private landlords to corporate investors,’ he explained.

‘In line with our expansion strategy and with more acquisitions in the pipeline, we are very interested in talking to professional agents with single or multi branch businesses almost anywhere in the UK,’ he added.

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