DUDLEY town centre’s recent regeneration has now pulled in a big name in the world of property sales and rentals.

Shipways officially opened its tenth branch in the High Street on Saturday – with a little help from the borough’s Mayor, Steve Waltho, and assorted guests including Buzz Lightyear, Minions, Olaf the snowman and Darth Vader. Sited in a prime location opposite the town’s bustling marketplace, the distinctive new branch is Shipways’ largest in the West Midlands and the biggest estate agency in Dudley.

It is staffed by a team of nine including residential sales and rental specialists and an in branch mortgage services consultant, Sarah Baker, who lives in Dudley and knows the area well.

Branch manager Paul Keeling said: “Our move into Dudley is a natural fit in the current Shipways growth programme and has been prompted by customer demand and the £4.5 million investment in the town centre.

“We cover the Dudley, Bilston, Wednesbury, Willenhall, Wednesfield, Sedgley, Coseley, Brierley Hill and Tipton areas.

“All staff members have been carefully hand-picked for this branch. They are all local and have an excellent knowledge of the area.”

Our appraisals manager Clair Bunce lives in Sedgley and Oliver Bragg also lives in Dudley.

Paul, who has been an estate agent for more than a decade, managed Shipways’ Knowle branch before his recent move to the Black Country.

He said: “We are delighted with the number of visits we have had into branch so far. We’ve been busy since we started trading with several offers coming in for houses for sale and interest in our rental properties.”

“As we’re a corporate estate agency, our customers are guaranteed the highest quality service. Our objective is to obtain the best possible price for the vendor and we have an exceptional marketing team to help us achieve this.

At Saturday’s official opening, the team gave away key rings, pens and balloons for visitors had the chance to win a ten inch tablet. Children were given certificates and photos while mums and dads were handed special envelopes containing a massive discount voucher. All proceeds were donated to Shipways’ chosen charity CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer.