A CHESTER estate agency has been revealed as number one in the region for sales for the fourth year running.

Humphreys also ended 2017 as the top agent in the city for lettings, according to figures from website Rightmove between January 1 and December 31 last year.

This marks the first time in its 24 year history that the office has achieved the number one position in both areas of its business.

For Anne Malone, senior branch manager and director at Humphreys of Chester, the success is down to a combination of factors.

She said: “We’re extremely proud of the fact that we’ve achieved this success in what has been a particularly challenging property market over the past year.

“Brexit and increasing property prices have led to a degree of uncertainty and buyers and renters have been looking for established and trusted agencies.”

She added: “We’ve always put a big emphasis on providing a personal service and honest advice, whether that be for sales, lettings or auctions, and I think people really do value that.

“We have an amazing team that is passionate about providing a fantastic customer experience, which places the client at the forefront of everything we do. This approach, combined with the additional support from the team at SDL Group, has meant that we’ve not only maintained our client base but grown it notably.”

Chris Summers, business development manager at SDL Group, which owns Humphreys, added: “When we acquired Humphreys of Chester in late 2016, we were in the enviable position that it was already a well-respected business. We’ve worked alongside the team to protect those core values and develop them even further to create a truly personalised property experience.

“The fact that Humphreys has expertise in sales, lettings and auctions, has contributed hugely to its growth. Consumers are looking for flexibility and options when it comes to property and being able to offer that combination of services has really helped the business to stand out in a crowded market.

“2018 won’t be just about maintaining that market share, we’re aiming to increase it even further.”