Estate agent Kevin Hollinrake, the boss of fast-expanding Hunters, is likely to become an MP next year.

He has been chosen as a Tory candidate to fight Thirsk and Malton, a constituency which is already a Conservative stronghold.

If he gets in, the residential property industry will have a representative in Parliament with hands-on understanding of how agency works, and who could offer a powerful and knowledgeable voice in debates on the housing market.

He replaces the sitting MP Anne McIntosh, who was de-selected by the local Tories after a long-running row. She won the seat last time with an 11,821 majority.

Hollinrake has been chosen once before as a Conservative candidate, when he was selected to fight the marginal seat of Dewsbury. He resigned in 2008, citing the need to concentrate on his business.

The constituency went on to swing from Labour to Tory a year later.

Hollinrake has built up Yorkshire-based Hunters, which he co-founded in 1992, from being a regional agency – and one that was hit badly in the housing market crash – to a major national operation.

Its growth was significantly boosted by its acquisition from Countrywide of the Bairstow Eves franchising business.

Today, Hunters has over 100 branches and lays claim to being the UK’s fastest growing independent UK estate agency chain – with ambitions to become the nation’s favourite estate agency brand.

Hollinrake told Eye: “As far as Hunters is concerned, I will continue to work at board level maximising our opportunities strategically and developing our business.”