Leaders has made its biggest acquisition to date, with the purchase of IMS Lettings in Derbyshire.

The deal brings Leaders’ network to 99 branches and just over 1,000 members of staff. There are further acquisitions in the pipeline.

The purchase of seven-branch IMS follows Leaders’ recent acquisition of Nottingham property sales and lettings firm PWR in April and significantly extends Leaders’ branch network in the East Midlands.

IMS has been established for over ten years and is described by Leaders as the dominant letting agent in Derby, Duffield, Belper, Borrowash and Long Eaton.

All the staff have joined Leaders whilst the vendor, Chris Griffin, has exited to focus on other business interests.

Griffin said: “I am confident that the business I have built will have a secure and successful future as part of Leaders.

“In choosing a company to sell to, it was crucial to me that my clients and staff would be well looked after and that the business would continue to be run in line with the high standards I have set and maintained over the last decade.

“I know that with Leaders there will be many benefits to my staff who will have excellent opportunities to develop their careers. This is an exciting new chapter for the business and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops under Leaders in the coming months and years.”

Leaders’ acquisitions director, Matthew Light, said: “This acquisition represents a significant milestone for us: it is our largest acquisition to date, bringing us into a new county and significantly extending our branch coverage in a new region.

“It also gives us a presence between Derby and Nottingham and provides us with the critical mass we needed to grow our East Midlands region. We extend a warm welcome to our new staff and clients in Derbyshire and look forward to a successful future with them.

“We intend to develop this region further in the same way that we develop our existing regions, by acquiring good-quality businesses in those towns where we do not yet have a presence, as well as acquiring property portfolios to strengthen our established branches.

“We are always keen to hear from any business owners thinking of selling and can assure them a smooth and fair transaction.”

Leaders began life in 1983 with a single office in Brighton. Originally in lettings only, it has now diversified into sales.

Last year Leaders secured a £30m financing facility to support its continuing buy-and-build strategy.