UK's biggest housebuilder Barratt holds pitch amid market recovery

The Barratt Developments-owned brand is in the midst of a closed pitch to appoint its first PR agency in recent years.

The pitch is a reaction to an upswing in the market, with the parent company last month reporting a 74 per cent surge in pre-tax profits to £192.3m.

Paul Howlett, head of PR at Barratt Developments, said that growth in the sector meant "now was the time" for comms to play a greater role in the company.

A shortage of housing and increasing public confidence in the sector has led to house prices rising by eight per cent in the past year.

The market received a further boost after the Government announced its Help to Buy mortgage scheme offering help to first time buyers, despite warnings that the move could help create a housing bubble.

The winning agency will target both the UK public and stakeholders, including local authorities and letting agents.

Howlett added: "We have spent the past five years improving the quality of what we do and this is the strongest market we’ve seen in that time. We’re now looking to reflect this when it comes to people’s opinions of the brand."