A north west England lettings agency has expanded with a swoop on a Preston-based business.

Keenans Group has acquired Letting Locations for an undisclosed sum.

Letting Locations, which trades as Guildhall Residential Lettings, operates in Ashton-on-Ribble and has 350 properties under management. Its managing director Robert Shields is being retained by Keenans on a consultancy basis following the deal.

Keenans is an independent, family-owned group which until now has focused on Greater Manchester and East Lancashire, with 10 branches covering 115 postcodes. It deals with over 2,500 sales and 400 lettings per year and employs nearly 100 staff.

This transaction will enable Keenans to continue growth and extend its reach into West Lancashire, and managing director Paul Keenan says: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Letting Locations as part of our geographical expansion in the north west.  The business is a great fit with our current branch network and it expands our lettings management portfolio.

“The staff have tremendous experience and are passionate about the lettings industry. Their commitment to excellence for landlords and tenants alike aligns perfectly with our ethos, and we extend a warm welcome to them as part of the group.

“The advice from Matthew and Andrew throughout the process has been invaluable, and we look forward to working with them on future acquisitions as we continue towards our growth target.”