Commercial property insurer Affiliated FM is targeting regional brokers in the South of England via its London and Manchester offices.

The company has been sending 'development underwriters' based in Affiliated FM's London offices to Southampton, Reading, Birmingham and Kent in a bid to scoop up some of the lucrative regional contracts on offer.

The insurer opened offices in Manchester last year in order to maximise the global insurer's presence in the northern region.

Affiliated FM director Jeff Fields said there was potential in the South because "for many of our competitors it is uncommon to get out beyond the M25".

Fields said: "Our sales guys are quite unique in the sense that they have authority to close business at the point of sale.

"This is enabling us to penetrate the larger regional brokers throughout the UK."