Hunters has reported its most successful year to date in 2015.

It opened in 32 new locations, floated on the stock market and launched a new residential development and investment arm.

The firm’s expansion included the recruitment of 21 existing independent agents, from single offices to larger networks.

The latter included Kudos Residential in Norfolk, which rebranded its seven-office network to Hunters in June, while Black & White Estates’ four-branch business in Kent rebranded in October.

Hunters also acquired Country Properties, an established franchised operation with strongholds in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, adding a further 23 branches to the network.

Having opened its first branch 24 years ago in York, Hunters now has 170 branches nationwide, almost entirely franchised, and is planning further expansion.

Andrew Bushell, sales director of Hunters Franchising, said: “We have a strong pipeline in place for 2016 and are about to open our doors in locations in the north-west and in central London.”

The firm’s chairman is co-founder Kevin Hollinrake, now a Tory MP.

* Separately, shares in Savills jumped yesterday after the firm said results for 2015 will be ahead of expectations.

In a pre-close period statement, Savills said it had completed “some significant commercial transactions in several of our businesses around the world”.

It also reported a stronger-than expected performance from its investment management business.

However, it warned that global economic uncertainty and rising interest rates this year would result in a “tempering” of transaction volumes in certain markets.

Savills will report its 2015 full-year results on March 10.