An agent has had a huge boost to its business after taking on a new build to rent contract.

Sales and letting agent Ascend Properties has migrated the entire portfolio of almost 1,000 properties into its management system in the last four months.

The task was completed without any disruption to service, said Ascend.

The portfolio is made up predominantly of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses in Manchester and Liverpool.

All tenants were contacted, mostly in person, to minimise disruption, and the agency says it has driven increased returns for the fund owners on both new tenancies and renewals.

In order to ensure the project was successful, Ascend recruited more staff.

In total, the agency has seen increased its head count by almost 40% in the last 12 months, with new hires particularly in the dedicated Build to Rent Asset Management department.

In addition, the agency has expanded its maintenance division.

Ascend has recently opened a new branch in Leeds, whilst continuing to grow its sales and lettings team in Manchester.

Ged McPartlin, Ascend’s managing director who is pictured below, said: “It is fantastic to see all the hard work from the team pay off and this project become a huge success.

“We have received positive feedback from residents who have been impressed with our staff and processes, which is just as important as maximising the returns for the fund owners.

“With all the well-published difficulties facing the sector, it is exciting for us to be expanding so rapidly.

“Build to rent is a sector we expect to be very focused on in the coming years and feel we are perfectly placed to deliver exceptional results for investors.

“Most asset management businesses don’t have the branch presence that we have in the key cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Salford and Leeds, so instead have to use third-party sub-agents to find tenants.

“This rarely delivers the same results as having the capability in-house, which we feel gives us a competitive advantage.”

He said that the build to rent sector is set to undergo “momentous growth”, and to drive further expansion for Ascend.

Ascend has also reported a record year for 2018 with a 62% increase in turnover, driven by almost 1,400 agreed lets and 200 completed property sales.