The objective is to establish Martin & Co as the leading specialist letting agency in London - the UK's most lucrative lettings market. The group already has 175 offices throughout the UK, 20 of which are in Greater London.

"The fastest route to success in the London market is to work with existing Lettings Managers who have the contacts, the local knowledge and the ambition to open their own agency. The people we are looking for will live and breathe London lettings, and feel that their career working for other people has reached a peak, but they may lack the capital and "know how" to start their own business" said Ian Wilson, Managing Director.

"For the right people we will provide the support and the funding to make it happen".

"However, the restricted number of prime London areas means competition for Business Partnership places will be fierce" predicted Wilson.

Martin & Co will be running a Business Partnership event called "60 minutes with Martin" in central London on Wednesday 17^th February at 7.00 pm.

Letting Managers who want to book a place should email Sales & Marketing Director, Mark Burdge. mark.burdge@martinco.com in strict confidence.

Far from resting on their laurels the company has signaled their intent for 2010 by expanding their head office team for the 9^th time in the past 12 months! Dean Gill, who has over 20 years experience in the property industry, has been appointed in the role of CFP Trainer, and will join the ever growing Martin & Co Training Academy.

"Dean will be assisting in the training and final implementation of CFP software across the network. He is a competent and experienced trainer who will be a great asset to the Training Academy team. Dean's addition to the Training Academy sends out a clear message that we are committed to investing in our franchise owners and their staff." commented Brand Standards Director Sue Hopson.

Dean is clearly relishing the chance to get started and work with franchise owners and their staff.  "I am delighted to be joining the UK's market leading letting agent. I'm excited at the opportunity to work with a national operation which is growing at a record rate. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and delivering useful and effective training to the Martin & Co network."

Ian Wilson, Managing Director said "People want careers and not just jobs. Our Training Academy will aim to deliver over 2000 delegate days of training this year to both franchise owners and their staff. Because we provide great training, at convenient regional centres, our franchise owners find it easier to recruit and retain the most talented staff. And as a result our landlords and tenants are able to benefit from a level of expertise and customer service that is second to none"

They say that success breeds success, and that is certainly the case for Martin & Co franchise owner Darren Loose.

Darren, already the proud franchise owner of the Martin & Co Ringwood office is preparing to open the doors of the Winchester office, in Jewry Street, under his management for the first time. Darren is looking forward to assuming control of the established Winchester office and is set to take lettings to the next level, as he has done with the Ringwood office.

"The Ringwood office has been successful because we pride ourselves the high levels of customer service that we offer our tenants and landlords alike and I plan to keep the same values for the Winchester office. We strive to be excellent, efficient and effective for all of our clients and with our strong brand and marketing tools, we ensure that our properties are snapped up almost as quickly as we are instructed!" commented Darren.

"Tracy and Andrew Blick (the previous franchise owners of the Winchester office) have done a fantastic job and have built the foundations of a solid lettings business with lots of happy customers. I am really looking forward to getting stuck in and meet the tenants and landlords of Winchester and deliver a service that backs up our status as the UK's no1 letting agent. So if you're anything other than delighted with your letting agent then why not pop in and see us at 40 Jewry Street, or give us a call on 01962 843346 " added the qualified tennis coach.

Darren is one of several franchise owners who have expanded and bought several more offices throughout the Martin & Co network of over 170 offices. If you're interested in joining the UK's fastest growing and largest dedicated lettings specialist then please contact the Franchise Recruitment Team - 01202 292829 or email propertyfranchise@martinco.com.

"As a property search site it was essential that this function remained core to the new site as well as maintaining the established branding that Martin & Co is renowned for nationwide. The Property Jungle recognised this requirement and were able to work with us to develop a bespoke site to support all the users' requirements," commented Mark Burdge Sales & Marketing Director.

The Web is widely used for property searches with over 80% of people starting their research online. This makes it an ideal marketing tool for the fast moving world of lettings. "Fierce competition in our industry makes investment in an effective website that is easily found through search engines such as Google crucial," he added.

The new Martin & Co website features individually managed office homepages, an Intranet to improve inter-office and company-wide communications as well as social networking and "search engine friendly" functionality.

"Working with Martin and Co and delivering a solution that makes a real difference to the way they do business has been a very rewarding exercise" said Mike Smithson from The Property Jungle, "Our experience and solid track record of delivering property industry websites that work enabled us to understand their business and requirements and build them a tool that helps them get on with the business of renting properties".

Portsmouth based search engine marketing specialists Vertical Leap worked with the Martin & Co head office team and Property Jungle to optimise the site. Although it is early days, with over 170 office pages locally optimised, Martin & Co are expecting to see increased exposure online, as well as an improvement in the customer experience. Google trends have already recognised Martin & Co as a "rising star".

Landlords and tenants alike can benefit from a number of improvements to the new site. These include enhanced property search tools, unbiased information about letting and/or renting a property providing helpful hints and tips, jargon busters to help explain the technical "lingo" used in the world of lettings, FAQ's, and information guides. Tenants are able to receive regular property updates via text and/or email and landlords can also benefit from their property being featured as property of the week. Martin & Co can even be followed on Twitter.

Finally Mark added, "We are delighted with the feedback we have had to date on the new site and we are already planning phase two. It's great to be able to work with suppliers such as The Property Jungle and Vertical Leap who understand and share our ambition and vision and this is crucial if we are to continue to be a major player in the lettings sector both on and off-line."

Homes for Heroes have strategic relationships with key suppliers in the industry to secure great deals for serving forces personnel and ensure that they are well looked after; particularly important when serving abroad. For those that buy property to rent as an investment, Martin & Co have been chosen to provide a comprehensive letting service through their network of over 170 offices.

In addition, Martin & Co are proud to contribute £ 100 for every fully managed property instruction to the nominated charities of Homes for Heroes.

Mark Burdge, Sales & Marketing Director at Martin & Co added, "Whilst we were delighted that Homes for Heroes recognised the quality of service that Martin & Co could provide to their clients, we are particularly pleased to be able to support such worthy charities that help those who have fought for our country - a particularly relevant subject at the moment"

If you would like to donate money towards the cause, then please email Jeremy.ogborne@martinco.com and request a sponsorship form.

Sue is celebrating a double success having just recently been promoted to Brand Standards Director at Martin & Co's head office, based in Bournemouth, Dorset. Sue has worked for Martin & Co for over 4 years starting as a lettings manager for the local office, before taking on the new role of Best Practices Manager. Sue joins an executive team of two (all who report to the Managing Director, Ian Wilson) and is the first Martin & Co employee to be promoted to a role at this level.

Commenting on Sue's recent appointment and exam success Ian Wilson, Managing Director said, "Sue's hard work and commitment has really paid off, and I'm delighted that she's part of the executive team."

On her recent promotion Sue commented, "I have really seen Martin & Co progress over the years and I am excited by the challenges this new role brings. The lettings sector is vibrant and ever changing and with increasing legislation and regulation it is essential that as a large network and established brand in this sector we continue to work with our franchise owners in raising the standards and knowledge.

NFOPP, the umbrella body for five of the leading professional bodies representing those who work in the property sector, launched the diploma last year as part of its drive to raise standards and recognise excellence. Sue Hopson has joined an elite group by becoming one of the first practitioners in the UK to achieve the profession's top qualification.

Ruth Lilley, head of membership and professional development at NFOPP, said: "I heartily congratulate Sue on her achievement. The Diploma is our highest level qualification, and one that carries real weight. The award is tangible evidence of a commitment to best practice and the highest standards of professionalism and I am delighted to say that we are now seeing a growing surge of interest from those employed in the industry in other parts of the country keen to follow Sue's example.

These results are very impressive so what is the key to Alex's success? "There's no real secret to our success. We felt that the level of service on offer to landlords and tenants in the local area wasn't good enough and we were confident that we could do better. We have had numerous experienced landlords joining us from competitors and have even had thank you cards through the post commenting on the high levels of service we have provided them", commented Alex.

"We are determined to establish the Northampton office as the market leader in the local area. We recently held our first landlord surgery, where our landlords got together and discussed issues affecting the local lettings market and we have had great feedback and intend to continue the meetings in the future."

So what's next for Alex and Martin & Co Northampton? "We don't really aim to change much to be honest. We will continue to base all of our business around high customer service. We will continue to invest time in our tenants to make sure that we find the right property for them and with the launch of the brand new www.martinco.com website we now have an even more effective tool at our disposal to market our landlords' properties."

The future certainly looks bright for the local letting agent and with the launch of their latest offers, including a 0% portfolio transfer for landlords and a 25% discount on admin fees for tenants, the office looks like it will be busier than ever!

Could you be the next Northampton?

Martin & Co defied the recession by increasing office revenue to a record high and the brand also grew at a record rate!

"Anyone looking to take control of their life and invest in their own future, should look for a business with a proven track record, a strong brand and exceptional training / support." comments Mark Burdge, Martin & Co's Sales and Marketing Director.

Burdge adds, "In difficult and unpredictable economic times, it is perhaps most important to look for an industry that has shown consistent growth and will provide an opportunity to build a secure future, irrespective of what happens in the wider economy."

"The lettings industry has not only grown strongly over the last decade, but it is poised to continue growing steadily. As Richard Martin put it, "Owning a lettings business provides a safe, dependable and repeating income stream"."

Martin & Co have grown rapidly by finding motivated franchise owners and providing them with exceptional training and support. With innovative marketing, national brand awareness and office numbers fast approaching 200, Martin & Co office have been able to position themselves as the ‘agent of choice' for landlords.

2010 will be another record year for Martin & Co's franchise owners. Anyone looking to build their own secure long term business, should come and talk to Martin & Co on stand 524 at the National Franchise Show at the Excel on 12^th or 13^th February 2010.

Contact propertyfranchise@martinco.com for free tickets and more information.