Countrywide says it has so far spent £25m on buying lettings businesses this year – and is hungry for more.

In the last 12 months it has acquired 23 lettings businesses, including 16 in the first half of this year.

Over a six-year period it has spent £60m on more than 75 purchases, adding over 320 branches to its network through a mixture of acquisitions and start-ups.

Countrywide plc began the year with the acquisitions of Tucker Gardner in Cambridgeshire, Personal Homefinders in Hampshire and Curtis Bains in Manchester.

Subsequent purchases have been of Milton Ashbury in Kent, NCT in Cornwall, Jayne & Moss in Devon, APW in Surrey, Jonathan Reese in Hampshire, Nest in Nottingham, Regal in Kent, The Flat Managers in Gloucestershire, Griffiths Charles in Worcester, Holmes Pearman in Essex, Duck & Hedges in south-west London, Let Lucas in Oxfordshire and Thomas James in Nottingham.

Nick Dunning, pictured, group commercial director of Countrywide, said: “These acquisitions significantly increase our regional footprint and fill in the geographical gaps in our portfolio.

“Current market conditions offer ongoing opportunities to acquire lettings businesses and scope to enter new markets as well as expand our presence in existing markets.

“We have fully integrated the 16 lettings businesses within the overall Countrywide lettings model and this has led to strong growth in the lettings division.

“This is an exciting period for Countrywide, and the growth of our lettings operation continues to be a major focus as it remains a key income driver for the group.”