Agents

Residential Letting Agents

We're standardising the access and inclusion processes for Residential Letting Agents, and making implementation easy. Post-Covid, the conversation around our homes has changed. Are you on board yet?

Inclusive Accessible Residential Lettings Agency

Supporting Letting Agents

On 30th November 2023, National Trading Standards published updated guidance for letting agents and landlords to improve material information in property listings. In addition to the guidance on its dedicated webpage, NTSELAT has published short guides for agents, sellers and landlords, and buyers and tenants.

The updates include guidance on accessibility and adaptations for the first time - following expertise and advice AccessiblePRS, which has shown the commercial feasibility and benefits, and the ease of implementation of The Accessible Letting Scheme. 

The NTSELAT guidance helps level the search and filtering processes for people with accessible housing needs, and provides agents with structure by offering fact-based property characteristics for use, so that property experts remain experts on property (not disability) and providing older and disabled people the information they require so they can make their own informed decisions. It will mean that agent's and property portal websites will need to be able to display the three new property characteristics of (1) step-free access (2) wet room / flat floor shower and (3) lateral living - i.e. a property with living room, kitchen, bathroom and at least one bedroom on the entry level. For many organisations, this will require an update of their CRM.

Guy Harris's training goes further by offering greater insight for property consultants to provide context to the issues, illustrates easy wins for all, and discusses the commercial benefits of inclusion for agents. Guy is a former estate agent, has had a 25 year career in property, as well as being a full-time wheelchair user following a Spinal Injury in 2003.

Accessible Letting Scheme

Our Accessible Letting Scheme is a positive, progressive step for mainstream lettings (and sales - the name is already a misnomer) to be inclusive. For many businesses, the unfamiliar and fear of getting it wrong has been an obstacle to taking the first step towards inclusion. Our scheme is based on an understanding of the issues for wheelchair users and the commercial needs of letting agents and their landlord clients. See which agents and portals are already working with us and choose to join the influential market leaders. Please click for more details.

Training

Online or in person training. For Sales, Lettings, Residential Development and Prime Relocation teams, our training is an integral part of the Accessible Letting Scheme. Aimed at everyone in your lettings process, including branch managers, negotiators, PR and marketing. You will understand (1) the barriers that disabled renters face when looking for somewhere suitable to live and (2) what are the easy-to-implement steps you can take as a letting agent to level the search processes for property searchers with accessible housing needs, and how you can benefit as an agency. Please contact us for further details.

Agency and the Equality Act

The Equality Act places certain requirements on real estate agents to work through and understand their obligations in terms of accessibility and equality of service. Whilst this need not be onerous, it does need looking at and steps putting in place to get it right. If you're aiming for the legal requirement, you're probably aiming for (and failing to meet) the bare minimum. With the updated Nov-24 Material Information updates including accessibility for the first time, now is a good time to address accessibility and inclusion, learn what you can do quite easily as an agent, and how you can benefit commercially. 

Consultancy

AccessiblePRS works with progressive property agencies, with innovative models to help generate new revenue streams, increase their housing stock listings and address accessible housing. Understanding what you can proactively do as a business will bring you insight and differentiation which you can use to win more business in new areas.