Estate agent Miles & Barr is to open a new branch in Ashford this month, as part of an ambitious expansion plan.

The firm, headquartered in Herne Bay, says it wants to open "two to three new branches a year" across the county.

Currently primarily based in the east of the county, it says if all goes to plan, it hasn't ruled out spreading further than the county's borders.

Sales director Rob Sabin explained: "Geographically, we're going to look to move across Kent. We're not going to jump outside Kent straight away, we'll look to do it reasonably strategically.

"For now, we have our target towns that we want to go for in the county. It's going to be a case of when the right premises come up for us."

The Ashford branch in Kings Parade on the High Street will open on July 2.

It marks a return to the town for the estate agent. It last had an office there in 2008. It closed as the credit crunch and recession hit the market hard.

But with challenges ahead today, with the cost-of-living squeeze and predicted steady increase in interest rates - which hike mortgage payments up - is there not a danger of a repeat?

Adds Rob Sabin: "The market is still pretty good at the moment.

"We might see a softening of the market and a return to a bit of normality as opposed to the crazy couple of years we've had since the first lockdown, with the stamp duty holiday as well.

"It will have an impact, but the market is still pretty buoyant at the moment.

"Off the back of the pandemic, in the rental market, we've seen longer tenancies being signed and fewer tenants giving notice to leave as we'd seen in previous years. That's probably due to the cost of living and the moving costs which would be incurred.

We have our target towns that we want to go for in the county

"But we're seeing a lack of stock in that market and that's seen rental values increase."

Joe Bull will manage the new office.

Miles & Barr, founded in 1999, now lays claim to 25% of east Kent's sales market.

It currently has 13 sales and letting offices countywide, employing some 260 members of staff.