The Lomond Group has completed yet another acquisition, bolstering its national rental portfolio by almost 600 properties.

The company has purchased Leeds-based buy-to-let specialists, ERE Lettings, with their properties located in all of the Lomond Group’s key heartlands, including Leeds, York, Hull, Manchester and Birmingham.

The management of the properties, as well as the ERE Lettings team of people, is being shared between three of the group’s long-established high street brands.

More than 330 properties are transferring to Linley & Simpson, and its 21-branch network across Yorkshire and Humberside. Over 170 are switching to Thornley Groves, which operates 15 offices throughout the North West. John Shepherd’s Midlands operations will inherit another 79 units.

ERE Lettings was part of ERE Property, an investment company with offices in Leeds and Hong Kong, which specialises in sourcing buy-to-let properties in high-growth areas in the UK.

A second overseas base is poised to open in Dubai to unlock new UK opportunities for investors across the Middle East.

The sale of its lettings arm will enable ERE Property – founded almost 20 years ago by Tim Morgan and Robert Medd – to focus exclusively on this core investment business.

As part of the deal, ERE Property will link up with the Lomond Group and place its future pipeline of properties under the management of its nationwide network of letting agencies.

This latest acquisition, covering large urban parts of England, mirrors the Lomond Group’s purchase of Manchester-based Property Hub Lets in August, which saw over 700 properties across Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands transfer to the same trio of brands.

Will Linley, managing director of the Lomond Group, said: “In many ways, this deal represents another ideal fit for us – and perfect timing as ERE Property expands its overseas operations.

“We are thrilled with the location and the quality of the properties we now manage. We are also excited by the prospect of more to come, as ERE Property strengthens its presence in Hong Kong and now Dubai to meet the growing needs of overseas investors with an appetite for UK rental property.

“Its portfolio covers the ideal geographical footprint for us as we already have a strong presence across the major cities that ERE Lettings has targeted as buy-to-let hotspots.

He added: “We have now sealed two major, multi-regional acquisitions within the space of just eight weeks and, eyeing the future, it is a model we are eager to replicate when the right opportunities present.

“It further underlines the unique proposition of Lomond Group and our strength in being able to link together our regional brands to accommodate a diverse geographical portfolio.”