HUNTERS, the massively-growing York-based estate agency, today flagged up plans to franchise its brand across the UK, generating 200 extra jobs for the city over the next five years.

The £9 million turnover company, which already employs 185 people across its ten northern offices, most of them in York, will formally announce its franchise plans tomorrow at the British Franchise Exhibition at the GMex, Manchester.

The new jobs will be support and sales staff to back up the franchised operation.

Already the award-winning firm has headhunted Jamie McMullan, a top London franchise guru, to roll out the programme. He is expected to oversee the start of about 20 new franchises in the North and Midlands by the end of this year, with the prospect of having 250 Hunters operations by the year 2011.

Kevin Hollinrake, one of five directors who formed the venture in 1992, said: "We have put into place an ideal business model in city centres such as Manchester, York and Leeds, larger towns such as Harrogate and market towns like Wetherby and Ripon."

For each, Hunters offered services that suited the customer as well as the local market.

He said: "We feel there is a real gap in the market for a strong UK brand which still allows independent estate agents to own their business.

"Our offering will allow business people to buy into the brand itself and benefit from a superb offering, developed over 13 years. We can provide tremendous support to our franchisees, including award-winning training, marketing and a great working environment."

The franchisees will be expected to show that they have about £120,000, an investment which will include the fee of £15,000 covering initial training, branding and operation manuals, plus the costs of setting up an office of £40,000 depending on location. "We are able to get bank funding for up to 70 per cent of the cost," said Mr Hollinrake.

Mr McMullan, 49, who has had 15 years of franchise estate agency experience, has come to Hunters from Bairstowe Eves Franchising Ltd, owned by Countrywide Plc.

Shortly after leaving university in 1983 he started his own estate agency, building it up to four branches, then selling them, before working for US estate agency Century 21, where he rolled out the franchise.

He said: "I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into this new opportunity. Hunters has a great name as one of the fastest-growing residential property companies in the north and my role will be to grow the brand into a national organisation with a branch on every high street."

Updated: 10:49 Thursday, January 26, 2006