IMS Lettings: Mad about property

Since winning Startups Awards’ Service Business of the Year category last October, Derby-based IMS Lettings has established IMS Residential, which has already handled the sale of 100 properties and set to become the county’s number one estate agency by 2010.

In addition, the company has launched IMS Overseas with the first office located in Madrid and another planned for Portugal.

IMS Lettings was founded in 2003 and is now recognised as the number one lettings agency in Derby. It currently employs 28 people with a total turnover of £4.5 million, of which £560,000 is profit.

The growth is set to continue with plans to become the UK’s largest independent lettings agency by the end of the year and a national franchise in two years’ time.

Chris Griffin, Director, IMS Lettings comments: ” We went to the Startups Awards with the sole intention of bringing home the Service Business of the Year award. The accolade has provided added credibility and I’m not ashamed to admit that we’ve fully exploited the win by including it on our website, marketing literature and news releases.

He continues: “The accolade increased our exposure at a crucial time; we had just launched IMS Residential and plans were underway for IMS Overseas.

“We’re so excited about the future and already have people waiting to become our first franchisees.”

Startups.co.uk has just launched the third annual Startups Awards 2006 in conjunction with NatWest. Winners of the 15 categories will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony and three-course luncheon to be held at the Royal Garden Hotel on Friday 20 October.