Approved estate agents

One of the most difficult features of developing the Accessible Property Register has been persuading estate agents to get involved. Quite a number have posted an individual advert when they have suddenly found themselves with a property containing some strange feature like a through the ceiling wheelchair lift and haven't really known what to do with it. I suppose it's progress that they bother to advertise rather than demand that the vendor rip it out! But persuading agents to identify and advertise accessible property consistently has proved nigh on impossible.

We are trying a new tactic - publishing the contact details of APR Approved Partner estate agents in a new APR Approved Partner database. This is certainly a first as there has never been a database of agents committed to promoting accessible property before. Agents are offered free advertising and vendor referral as an incentive to sign up. It's early days, but at least the database is up and running and we will have to see how it progresses.

If you happen to be an estate agent, have a look at our Information for estate and letting agents.

The other thing that helps enormously in building this database is if anyone with accessible property to sell and looking for an estate agent uses our 'Find an approved estate agent' service. It's absolutely free - and we now have a colleague with extensive experience of the estate agent business identifying suitable agencies for us. Any agent recommended will be a member of an appropriate professional association and will be members of the Property Ombudsman Scheme.

A question...!

Question - why do neighbours who come home late at night or leave early in the morning all drive cars with a minimum of 193 doors, each of which has to be slammed 87 times?!