There has been unprecedented activity within the market, especially from pub companies.

They are as eager as ever to buy public houses that are either under-performing with the potential to increase trade, or closed pubs with a view to re-branding them and starting from scratch. Christie and Co has dealt with the disposal of 175 public houses across the country on behalf of Enterprise Inns.

There has been a tremendous response to this disposal and, from the Newcastle office, we have already successfully negotiated sales of nine properties across the region. We are now keen to hear from any licensees with either good barrelage, free houses or leasehold pubs which are ideal for the first-time buyer market.

Again, we have had experience in the disposal of the Unique Pub Company leases, Whitbread Pub partnership leases, Pubmaster and so on. Some of the recent successful sales have include: the Three Tuns, Sadberge, near Darlington; Victoria Inn, Spennymoor; Princess Alice, Middlesbrough; Tap and Barrel, Middlesbrough; The Porthole, North Shields; Tap and Barrel, Sunderland; Locomotive, Bishop Auckland.