The millionaire leader of Hunters franchise agency, Kevin Hollinrake, has been selected to stand as the Conservative candidate in the safe seat of Thirsk and Malton.
This means he will almost certainly become an MP at next spring's general election.
Hunters has over 100 branches, mostly handling sales and lettings. Each franchise is run by the local owner who is also a partner in the overall business.
If Hollinrake gives up his role at Hunters upon election - and no announcement has yet been made on this - he will be a hard act to follow.
He started Hunters from just one branch in York in 1992. It then expanded in the so-called Golden Triangle area around Leeds, Harrogate, York and Wetherby, reaching 49 branches. Then in 2011 Hunters purchased the franchised branches of Countrywide's Bairstow Eves, taking the company name across wider parts of the UK, including London for the first time.
Hollinrake has long made it public that he wants to be an MP. He was selected as Tory candidate for Dewsbury in 2007 but stood down in 2008 because of concerns over how the property slump would affect Hunters: his successes as Conservative candidate went on to win that seat in the 2010 election.
But his new seat is considered to be safer. It includes Pickering, Filey, Thirsk, Malton and Easingwold - where Hollinrake lives and is a school governor.
However, Hollinrake may require all of his business and agency acumen to succeed in what has become an acrimonious and divided local Conservative party. It has embroiled in a long-running dispute with its current Tory MP, Anne McIntosh.
McIntosh - who at 60 is 10 years older than Hollinrake - is a former MEP and has been an active member of the Westminster parliament but she was deselected by her local party early this year. Some political analysts say this came after years of so-called dirty tricks against her by local party members; others say McIntosh herself was deeply divisive.
Hollinrake may just be jumping from the frying pan into the fire...
Comments
He runs the risk of running his empire into the ground... some tough decisions ahead for Mr Hollinrake.
Let us hope it will not happen in this case but whoever they are, on becoming an MP, if they want selection for promotion some become leopards who change their spots
I hope they make him Housing Minister if the Tories are elected as there hasn't been a decent one for a decade!
Good luck to him. As Peter Coles says, it will be nice to have someone on the other side who actually has knowledge and experience in the industry. He won't be spouting the usual misinformed, populist rubbish that usually comes from MPs where property is concerned.
This really is excellent news - regardless of your political persuation having someone with Kevins experience and knowledge of our industry in Government would be excellent for us all - good luck with your campaign Kevin