DALE Eddison has been named the UK's best estate agent - as well as scooping several other industry awards.

In addition to the Grand Prix national award, the firm was also named best local agency group at ‘The ESTAS’, the national estate and letting agents awards, while its Ilkley and Otley branches gained gold and silver awards. The wins were based on customer feedback.

Dale Eddison was founded in 1992 by Bill Dale and William Eddison and recently opened its fifth branch in Skipton and appointed ten new staff.

It now employs 40 staff in Otley, Guiseley, Silsden and Skipton ,which opened in January this year.

William Eddison said: “Our triple award wins – and being named best estate agent in the UK – are the awards every agent dreams of winning because they are based on what our sellers and buyers think about us

“When we started, Ilkley had just four estate agents and now the town has doubled the competition with agents clamouring for customers.Four months after we opened our first branch with just two staff, no stock and lots of enthusiasm, Britain hit ‘Black Wednesday’,

“Interest rates soared to 15 per cent and the housing market utterly petered out. But through it we learnt how to make sales happen and how to hold them together.

Our proudest achievement in our 24 years is never to have laid off a member of staff. On the contrary, we have steadily grown.”

The company includes a financial services department, residential and commercial teams and experienced sales staff and has become the market leader in Wharfedale with more than 400 houses on its books - with 40 per cent sold subject to contract.

“Houses are selling faster than they are coming onto the market which puts pressure on prices as people are chasing a reduced number of properties. It’s a recipe for further house price inflation and that’s not always good,” William added .