Hunters has signed up a new franchisee but the firm is set to continue using its own brand.

Essex and Hertfordshire agent Mullucks Wells – which has offices in Bishop’s Stortford, Epping, Great Dunmow and Saffron Walden – has become part of the Hunters Group.

It will continue to trade under the Mullucks Wells name, but will have a fresh new branding as ‘Mullucks, part of Hunters’.

The existing directors, Richard Roberts, Jo Wilson, Daniel Galati and William Wells, pictured below, will remain at the helm.

Mullucks Wells has been operating throughout Essex and Hertfordshire for more than 28 years, having launched its first branch in Bishop’s Stortford in 1991.

Explaining the move, a spokesman for Hunters told EYE: “We review large rebrands on a case by case basis.

“We were mindful of the size and complexity of this well-established agency which includes commercial and land and new homes divisions as well as residential sales and lettings, and we decided that it was in the best interest of the consumer to keep part of the Mullucks name for the time being.”

Roberts, managing director of Mullucks Wells, said: “Our experienced local teams and the excellent service they have become renowned for will be strengthened further by the benefits of a nationwide network offering.

“Hunters is a great cultural fit for us and it represents an important part of our continued growth.

“We identified Hunters as a business that not only shared our traditional values of local expertise with a strong emphasis on customer service, but also as one which excelled in the fields of training and technology, two areas that will be critical as the property industry continues to evolve.”

He said access to the additional technological, training and marketing benefits offered by Hunters, as well as increased exposure for property instructions as part of a national network, were the primary factors behind their decision.