A franchisee has bolstered his business by acquiring a local competitor.

Parkers, in Reading, Berkshire, has bought Samuel James, a family-run independent in the middle of the town.

Owner Craig Pearson, who also owns Parkers branches in nearly Woodley and Earley, has taken on six staff from Samuel James.

Pearson said: “It was important to the owner that he found a buyer to continue looking after his clients as well as his current staff.

“We were extremely pleased and proud that we were seen as the agency to do all that based on our ethos and care for our existing clients.”

Pearson is one of the best known agents in the Thames Valley.

He joined Parkers as a sales negotiator in Bracknell in 1993. Spells at branches in Crowthorne and Wokingham followed before he was promoted to branch manager at Reading in 1996.

The brand was originally independent, before becoming part of Xperience, and is now one of six brands in the Property Franchise Group, which has a policy of backing franchisees’ local growth ambitions.