Winkworth is anticipating more demand from franchisees this year after reporting a record 78.5% increase in applicants last year.

The agency franchise network hasn’t said how many of those applicants actually went on to become franchisees but said it had added six more offices last year.

These included Banstead, Poringland and Northampton, a conversion in Fowey, a new office opened by an existing franchisee in Brentford and the acquisition of an existing business in Mudeford by an existing franchisee.

The agent says it now has around 100 offices across the UK.

There were also some offices that closed during 2018, including one in Richmond and another in Lincoln that merged with its Sleaford franchise based 17 miles away.

Winkworth said it hasn’t lost any geographic coverage with four francises merging with neighbouring offices and one office closed due to the franchisee retiring last year.

Dominic Agace, chief executive of Winkworth, said: “We’re delighted with the progress we’ve made over the past year, welcoming some fantastic professionals from elsewhere in the industry as new franchisees and supporting current franchisees with their own plans to expand.

“Despite a tough year for some businesses, our new franchising applicants reached record levels in 2018, demonstrating the strength of our brand and reputation.

“Going forward, we continue to focus on growing our network with quality new franchisees and in strategic locations. We feel that the key to our success is not rapid growth, but ensuring we have the right people on board in the right locations to drive our business forward steadily.

“We have yet to see what the year will bring for the industry, but I’m confident that we have the best people to weather any potential storm.”