Simpson & Partners and Simpson and Weekley has announced plans to launch a hybrid franchise model.

Andrew Simpson and Mark Weekley, who own and run the Northampton-based agencies, have launched a franchise offering called Simpsons Property Experts.

It will enable agents to own a franchise brand and operate within their exclusive area supported by the Simpsons brand and team.

Whilst franchises are available nationwide, the team behind Simpsons Property Experts are keen to initially focus on helping agents seeking to operate across Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.

Simpson and Weekley are developing the model with guidance from industry consultant and former Yopa regional director Dan Firth.

Firth told EYE: “They [Simpson and Weekley] wanted to create a new model within their group that allowed them to grow but also give the opportunity for entrepreneurial estate agents to launch and own their own franchise in the most affordable way possible.

“We have built the model by looking at the current options for someone who wanted to become a self employed agent or own their own business, and hope we have created something that ticks a lot of boxes and will sit perfectly between self employed models like eXp and larger more expensive franchises like Hunters and LSL.”