London estate agent Portico has become the first multi-branch letting agency in the UK to be approved by Airbnb, a deal that it says is the beginning of a ‘new age’ of estate agency.
Portico, which has 17 high street branches in London, has been admitted onto the global home sharing platform’s Professional Co-Host programme and follows single-branch Harry Albert Sales & Lettings in Leicester.
The firm is also only the sixth partner of this kind in the UK to be appointed to the programme, which Airbnb says is designed to make hosting easier for both for landlords and private home owners.
Portico can now upload properties direct to Airbnb, which will be managed by dedicated account managers, and also offers a property management service.
The agency, like others on the UK programme such as AirAgents, Pass The Keys and BnB Buddy, handles changeovers and bookings for landlords and property owners including check-ins and outs, key management, advice on how to maximise listings on Airbnb and specialist insurance cover.
“Customers will now be able to walk into a Portico office on the high street and list their properties for rent through Airbnb in the same way that they would for long-term tenancy, with teams that are experienced in managing people’s homes and tenants,” says Fiona Patterson, New Business Director of Portico (left).
“Our short-term letting service has more than doubled in the last year. Now, with the support of Airbnb, we are looking to fulfil the demand for a trustworthy short let management service.”
Portico says its co-host programme is designed to run alongside its traditional sales and lettings offerings, giving landlords the option to maximise their yields by using Airbnb during void periods, and enabling sellers to let out vacant properties on the market.
Well, this article is slightly incorrect.
Harry Albert Lettings & Estates were allowed to join the platform in January 2018… So, if this article is anything to go by, we were first!
thanks for the clarification Andrew – piece has been amended accordingly.