Countrywide spent £40m acquiring 29 lettings businesses last year, it has disclosed.

Since 2007, Countrywide has invested over £100m in acquiring over 100 lettings businesses throughout England and Scotland.

Last year’s acquisitions included Tucker Gardner, a well established business in Cambridgeshire, full service lettings agency Personal Homefinders in Hampshire, and the large portfolio of Curtis Bains in Manchester city centre.

It also bought the portfolios of APWin Surrey, Jonathan Reese in Romsey, Nest in Nottingham, Acorns Residential in Kent, The Flat Managers in Cheltenham, Griffiths Charles in Worcester, Holmes Pearman in Basildon and Billericay, Duck & Hedgesin south-west London and Sewell & Gardner in Rickmansworth.

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.

“The investments we make in our acquisitions are not only focused on the growth of our Countrywide Residential Lettings business within the group but also the growth of our people.

“Over the past four years our acquisitions have created circa 350 new jobs within the lettings sector, some of which have been the first stepping stones for many graduates in their future careers.”

* Countrywide has also confirmed the closure of its John D Wood office in Chelmsford, Essex.

A spokesperson said: “Upon a strategic review of the geographical coverage of our Countrywide estate agency branches in East Anglia, which includes the John D Wood & Co and Bairstow Eves brands, we took the decision not to extend the lease on the premises of John D Wood & Co in Chelmsford.”

The spokesperson said no other offices had been recently closed by Countrywide.