The franchisee of a new Martin & Co branch in his hometown has opened with the recruitment of five new staff.

Hamza Anwar, already the owner of the Martin & Co office in Blackpool, recently cut the ribbon on his new branch in nearby Lytham St Annes.

“The St Annes office is particularly important to me as I live in the town, so it has a real sense of coming home. The fact that we are able to offer a complete estate agency service of lettings, sales and financial services to my fellow residents can only be healthy for the property market.

“My team and I are fully focused on delivering excellent service, managing properties as if they were our own. I’m a landlord myself and I am committed to providing the best possible service to our landlords, helping them to grow their portfolios as well as managing the properties they already have.”

Anwar opened his first office in Blackpool at the age of 23 and the success of that cold start launch has seen his business grow through acquisitions over the past decade.

Robert Clarke, operations manager for Martin & Co, says: “It is rare to see such a significant volume of additions to a business who all have the experience that the newly expanded team have to offer. The team compliments Hamza’s drive and determination and I look forward to seeing the branch become a dominant presence in the St Annes market.”