The news will add to fears of hefty job losses resulting from the takeover, which is the biggest deal in UK banking history. The number of ensuing redundancies has been put as high as 40,000 although that was branded "ridiculous" by Lloyds TSB's chairman Sir Victor Blank. Lloyds TSB has contacted several leading property agents, the Independent said, including DTZ, Jones Lang LaSalle and CB Richard Ellis. Two or three are expected to be hired in the next few weeks to review then sell branches across the UK, the paper added.