A Worcestershire firm of estate agents has defied the recession by announcing significant expansion plans for 2013, including the opening of a new Bewdley town centre office.

Allan Morris and Jones, which already has local offices in Kidderminster and Stourport, has now acquired Grade II listed premises in Load Street.

The opening of the new office also means that Allan Morris and Jones is now the only firm of estate agents to have offices in all three towns within the Wyre Forest district.

Managing director David Jones said: “we are delighted to announce the opening of what will be our 10th office in the county, making us Worcestershire’s largest independent firm of estate agents.

"Clients selling in Bewdley and the surrounding villages will now be able to choose a town centre estate agent providing the very best local expertise, together with a network of connected local offices providing unparalleled regional and national coverage.”

All residential valuations and sales at the Bewdley office will be personally overseen by Mr Jones and Liz Lord, two of the most experienced estate agents in the district and both fully licensed members of the National Association of Estate Agents.

The sales team will be assisted by independent mortgage adviser Geoff Davis, who will be based at the office full-time, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the financial services sector going back over the last 25 years and giving the firm an extensive network of long-standing clients in the town.

Mr Jones also announced further expansion plans for the firm’s Stourport office with the appointment of Alison McHugh as full-time sales negotiator, taking responsibility for day-to-day matters at the office.

Alison will be a familiar face to many clients in Stourport, having originally spent six years working for the firm after the office first opened in 2002.

 Mr Jones said: “Despite the fact that conditions in the UK property market are still pretty tough, I am delighted to say that 2012 saw us record our best sales figures since 2007.

"The fact is, in challenging times such as these, houses don’t just sell themselves. We have developed our own unique and very successful formula, which is clearly working very well and means that we are now in a good position to further strengthen our position as the premier firm of estate agents in the Wyre Forest property market”.