Lomond has further strengthened its presence in the North West of England after sealing another acquisition – the 17th it has completed in the region in less than three years.

A year after buying Matthews of Chester, the group has now doubled up by acquiring Denton Clark, another long-standing property business in Cheshire’s county town.

The deal has seen Denton Clark’s entire letting portfolio transfer to Matthews of Chester’s neighbouring office in Lower Bridge Street.

Jennifer Morris, who spearheaded the management of all landlords’ investments at Denton Clark, has also joined the Matthews of Chester team and will continue in this role to ensure optimum continuity of service.

Lomond’s major brands in the North West include Thornley Groves, Julian Wadden, and Matthews of Chester, and its regional chief executive, Jason Watkin, said: “This latest deal is the perfect match.”

He continued: “Both Matthews of Chester and Denton Clark have been matching people with property across Chester and its surrounding villages for more than 100 years between them, and share a strong local heritage.

“We are thrilled to grow our footprint in this vibrant Cathedral city, where our portfolio now extends to nearly 800 properties. With a thriving rental and sales market, it is one of a number of areas where we will be targeting more acquisition activity in 2024.

“Matthews of Chester has a first-class team of people, and we all look forward to helping more landlords and tenants along their property lettings journey thanks to the relevant, locally-tailored, expert advice that hallmarks the approach of all Lomond’s brands.”

Lomond’s CEO, Ed Phillips, added: “The past 12 months have been another year of expansion throughout England and Scotland for the group, and we are delighted to end 2023 as we started it – on a high note.

“The North West of England has been one of the heartlands at the forefront of our growth journey, with a portfolio that has tripled in size since Lomond launched less than three years ago.

“As we look to inject further pace and scale into our acquisition ambitions for 2024, our team in the North West continues to actively explore more opportunities for us to consolidate our presence in key locations – Chester being a prime example.”