Winkworth has opened an office in Suffolk for the first time after one of its franchisees in neighbouring Norfolk purchased independent agent Halford Wetmore.

The acquisition was made by Winkworth Poringland franchisee Jamie Moore and boosts the franchise’s presence in East Anglia.

The Halford Wetmore brand will be replaced by Winkworth Southwold.

The Southwold office will remain at its current location with previous owner Daniel Wetmore staying on as a consultant.

Moore said: “Acquiring this new office is a great opportunity for us to expand into Suffolk and extend our client base within a fantastic new area.

“Southwold has a strong property market, which is particularly popular with London buyers looking for second homes, and there is no other agent locally that can provide a direct link to London buyers like Winkworth can.

“Naturally, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to tap into this market and we’re thrilled with the support we have received from Winkworth to help us grow.”

Dominic Agace, chief executive of Winkworth, said: “I’m really looking forward to working with the entire team at the new Winkworth Southwold office, whose experience and knowledge of the local area are second to none.

“We’re delighted to see this growth from one of our newest franchisees, not only from being one of our best performing offices in their first year of trading, but also as they expand into new territory.

“The past year has been tough for many, but we’re proud that despite this and with the support we offer, many of our franchisees are still able to achieve their goals of growing and developing their services.”