A prominent brand in the Lomond Group – Linley & Simpson – has expanded its portfolio by over 600 properties in another acquisition deal.

Lomond now has a combined portfolio of over 35,000 properties, worth around £8 billion, under management and operates major rental areas including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and York. 

Linley & Simpson’s acquisition of Preston Baker leaves the independent with sales,new homes, land and planning, and financial services.

As part of the deal, 620 rental units across properties Yorkshire, plus 10 lettings staff, will shift to Linley & Simpson offices in Leeds, York and Wakefield.

Linley & Simpson chief executive Nick Simpson says: “This investment is yet another vote of our continuing confidence in the energy of the private rented sector in our Yorkshire heartland.”

Leeds-headquartered Preston Baker was founded in 2008 as a one-branch agency with four people. It now employs 85 and operates out of eight offices.

Linley & Simpson, founded in 1997, has 420 staff in 23 branches and became part of the Lomond Group at the end of 2020 when it joined forces with Edinburgh-based Lomond Capital to co-create what it claims to be “an ambitious and progressive new national lettings and sales business.”

Other brands in the group include Thornley Groves in Greater Manchester and Cheshire; John Shepherd in its Birmingham and Midlands hub; Brand Vaughan plus Michael Jones and Company in the South East; as well as DJ Alexander and Stonehouse in its Scottish heartlands.