Former employees launch Hunters franchise

ESTATE agency Hunters Property Group has launched an operation in North Yorkshire, after it sold the franchise for the area to two former employees from its Easingwold branch.

Hunters Personal Agency in Strensall is being run by Sarah James, a former branch manager, and Jette Emsley, a negotiator and valuer.  

Working from home, with support from Hunters’ York office, the pair have joined a growing network of Hunters personal agents operating in the wider York area outside the city centre.

Ms James, who comes from York, has lived in Strensall since 2004. 

She said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for both of us. We can build our own business while keeping our links with Hunters. 

“We don’t have the overheads of a formal office, so we can spend more time looking after our customers.

“No other agents focus specifically on the villages of Strensall and Flaxton, so we are offering a highly personalised service.” 

Ms Emsley added the move suited their family lives.

“Having both worked for Hunters for more than 10 years and having been friends for the same period, the decision to run the agency as a partnership just made so much sense,” she said.

Kevin Hollinrake, managing director of Hunters Property Group, said: “Hunters Personal is proving to be a very popular concept. Personal agents like Sarah and Jette  typically look after an area surrounding their own home so they know their community intimately. 

“This is a new model for estate agency which is working extremely well;  our existing personal agents for Haxby, Wiggington and Bishopthorpe Road are already the top performing agents in their areas for numbers of properties sold.”