Christie & Co's South West team has won, for the ninth consecutive year, the award for the most active agents in the leisure and hotels category of Estates Gazette's EGi Deals Competition.

Christie & Co was also named as the top-ranking agent in the category in Wales and Scotland.

Christie & Co continue to dominate the hotel and leisure transactional market, providing market leading advice to hotel owners for over 80 years.

Rob Kinsman, regional director at Christie & Co, said: "To be awarded this ranking for the ninth year is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our South West team and the results we strive to achieve for our clients.

"Our teams bring integrity and transparency to the sale process, and that's why business owners continue to trust us."

Stephen Champion, associate director of Christie & Co's South West hotel team, said: "As highlighted in our Business Outlook 2019 report, the market faced many challenges in 2018 but for those businesses which embraced change, there are still plenty of opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs.

"The South West market was particularly active in 2018 and we transacted 23 percent more hotel deals in the region than the previous year, with investors keen to take advantage of the booming tourism industry.

"We continue to see an improvement in the quality of businesses coming to the market and with interest rates remaining low, the leisure sector provides robust returns for entrepreneurs seeking higher returns. The South West is regarded as a fantastic place to invest and we have seen a noticeable increase in foreign investment, particularly from the Asian markets."