Independent estate agency snaps up rival business

Independent estate agency Linley & Simpson has opened a new branch in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, after acquiring the family-run firm of Flemings and its rental portfolio of more than 330 properties.

The opening of the branch on Robin Lane increases the number of offices in Linley & Simpson’s network across West and North Yorkshire to 16, and grows its own portfolio of managed rental homes to almost 7,000.

Will Linley, chief executive of Linley & Simpson, said:  “We are thrilled to bring our letting and sales expertise to Pudsey, and look forward to helping more and more people move home. For us, it is a bullseye location that’s a great geographical fit. It enables us to offer our services across the whole of North and West Leeds.

“It was a long courtship – we first approached Flemings eight years ago – yet we are delighted that when it was decided the time was right to sell, they still had our original letter close to hand. They said they only wanted to sell to the right company who would continue to take care of their valued clients – and, as a like-minded company, we aim to do just that.”

The majority of properties inherited from Flemings are located in Pudsey and its surrounding suburbs of Farsley, Stanningley, Bramley, and Tong. There are also around 40 homes in the Wakefield and Pontefract areas, which will transfer to Linley & Simpson’s branch at Northgate, Wakefield.

Linley added: “With its excellent transport links, good schools and a raft of new food and drink openings, Pudsey is very much an up-and-coming town that’s still growing in popularity as a place to live.”

“This represents our first acquisition of 2019 and we expect others to feature in the coming months. We have confidence in the potential of the Yorkshire market and an appetite to continue to invest in it.”

As part of the takeover, Linley & Simpson is retaining all of the Flemings staff.

This marks the company’s ninth acquisition in just 12 months, as it accelerates its “buy and build” growth strategy in Yorkshire.

Linley & Simpson now employs a team of more than 230 staff across a network of 16 High Street branches across West and North Yorkshire.

In addition to the new branch at Pudsey, it has offices in Leeds city centre, Horsforth, Roundhay, Chapel Allerton, Ilkley, Saltaire, Harrogate, Ripon, Wetherby, Wakefield and York.

The company also continues to operates a further four branches under the Dale Eddison brand – at Ilkley, Otley, Guiseley, and Skipton – after it acquired that business in November.

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