Yorkshire lettings specialist Linley & Simpson has bolstered its portfolio by more than 600 properties after sealing another major acquisition deal.

It has bought the lettings book of sector stablemate Preston Baker, which will now strengthen its focus on its core residential sales business. It will also invest in accelerating growth across its other specialisms – new homes, land and planning, and financial services.

As part of the deal, 620 properties in North, West and South Yorkshire – plus ten lettings staff – will transfer to Linley & Simpson.

They will be integrated into existing offices in Leeds, York and Wakefield – part of its growing network of 23 branches across Yorkshire and The Humber.

CEO of Linley & Simpson, Nick Simpson, said: “We are thrilled to inherit a portfolio and a team of people that are both high on quality.

“This investment is yet another vote of our continuing confidence in the energy of the private rented sector in our Yorkshire heartland.”

Leeds-headquartered Preston Baker was founded in 2008 as a one-branch estate agency and four people. The multi-award-winning company now employs a team of 85 and operates out of eight offices.

Its joint founder and Managing Director, Ian Preston, said: “This is a deal that has collective benefit for both agencies. For Preston Baker, it allows us to focus on our core business strengths at pace and at scale.

“It’s also an opportunity to accelerate the development of our emerging specialisms – new homes, land and planning, and financial services.

“We have long been highly regarded for helping people at the end of their home-buying journey. We’re now keen to maximise our skills and insight in supporting them at the start – that’s why the extra expertise offered by our land-buying and planning teams sit at the heart of this strategic repositioning of our business.”

Founded by Will Linley and Nick Simpson in 1997, Linley & Simpson has grown from just two offices and a handful of staff, to a network of 23 High Street branches spanning Yorkshire and The Humber and a team of more than 320 people.

It became part of the Lomond Group at the end of 2020. The Group now has a combined portfolio of over 35,000 properties, worth around £8bn, under management; and operates major hubs in private rental hotspots including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and York.