Leaders' acquisition takes branch total to 85

Leaders' latest acquisition has given the group its 85th branch and its first chance to tenjoy the lucrative Oxford lettings market.

It has acquired letting and property management firm QB Management Ltd, which trades in Headington and has been a part of Oxford's letting scene since the early 1990s. Peter Conisbee, who founded QB and is now retiring, says the new firm will benefit our clients who'll now have access to a wider range of property services with much wider coverage.

Leaders has grown into one of the industry's most prominent players following a management buy-out in March 2010 backed by Bowmark Capital, the mid-market private equity firm,

Leaders has completed 60 acquisitions and more than doubled its branches from 42 to 85, buoyed recently after securing a £30m expansion financing facility. Since the start of 2014 alone it has completed 14 acquisitions across the UK.

We have built a strong reputation among vendors in the residential lettings industry and for many owners we are the acquirer of choice according to Leaders managing director Paul Weller, who adds with the customary appeal to other agents that we are ready and able to consider any acquisition opportunity across the UK.

Meanwhile Waterfords estate agents, which operates across parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, has appointed Victoria Mackinnon as Head of Lettings.

Mackinnon started her career as a lettings administrator for Atlantis Property Services in Reading before taking a commercial and corporate lettings position in Dubai, before working at independent agent Farmer and Dyer and then at Waterfords.