Hunters Property Group, the York-based estate agency, has acquired Gateway Lettings of Easingwold for an undisclosed sum.

Gateway was owned by North Yorkshire businesswomen Margaret Calvert and Helen Marden.

Its portfolio includes properties in and around Easingwold, Thirsk, Ripon and Boroughbridge, where it also has an office.

The acquisition will bring Hunters’ letting business’s workforce to 57 and the group’s total turnover to about £7 million.

Kevin Hollinrake, managing director of Hunters Property Group, said: “This is a strategic acquisition for Hunters as we already have a strong presence in both Easingwold and Boroughbridge.

“The combined business will operate from our existing offices in these towns, under the management of Michelle Bailey, who has run our York lettings office for the past couple of years. She will now be based in Easingwold.

“We have invested a great deal of resource in these offices to ensure a seamless transition for all Gateway’s existing landlords and tenants and, before the sale, worked closely with the Gateway management to minimise any disruption for customers.”

Mr Hollinrake added that Hunters’ letting business had continued to grow through the recession and now had seven branches, having franchised its brand a year ago.

“The property market has stabilised over the past few months and this new acquisition will strengthen our position in the market and help us to grow our lettings business in 2010 and beyond,” he said.