The country’s biggest conveyancing business, My Home Move (MHM), has consolidated its position by acquiring Advantage Property Lawyers (APL), the sixth biggest conveyancer and a significant player in the north-east of England in particular.

MHM owns Premier Property Lawyers, the country’s first alternative business structure, and – together with the panels MHM manages for introducers – expects to deliver up to 80,000 completions this year. The additional of APL will take it to over 90,000. It expects to top 100,000 next year.

The additional 120 staff will also take the headcount at MHM to nearly 1,000.

APL was established in Leeds nine years ago and has worked with MHM for a number of years through the latter’s panel management. APL will retain its own name, approach and technology.

In a statement, MHM said the acquisition enable the Council for Licensed Conveyancers-regulated firm “to expand its offing to clients and introducers located across the north-east”.

MHM chief executive Doug Crawford said “We acquired APL because of its size, reputation and long-standing relationships with a number of significant introducers, which will complement our own strengths.

“This acquisition will enable My Home Move to support APL’s continued growth over the next few years as well as provide the opportunity for both organisations to share ideas and best practice as we grow together.

“APL is a superb brand managed by a strong team who I look forward to working alongside as we continue to revolutionise the customer experience of conveyancing through further investment in people, processes and innovative technology.”

Stephen Coupland, head of sales and marketing at APL and a solicitor, said the deal allow the firm to continue to grow in Leeds “while, over time, building on our existing approach to tap in to some of the exceptional technology platforms that My Home Move has built for its clients and introducers”.

My Home Move has offices in Leicester, Manchester and Northampton – with much of the legal work actually handled in India – and also has a regional presence through its ‘National Network of Conveyancers’ (NNC).

The NNC was launched last year to allow experienced conveyancers to work from home on a flexible basis. All NNC conveyancers are full employees of My Home Move, managing their own portfolio of clients while balancing home/life commitments – a model seen in corporate/commercial areas of law but far less so in consumer services.

MHM has longstanding private equity investment from Smedvig Capital, which is also invested in probate specialist firm Kings Court Trust.