Mothers overcome personal challenges to open new digi...

Two mothers have launched a new estate agency using a virtual office - and they have overcome personal challenges to achieve their dream.

Cardigan Bay Properties is the brainchild of Helen Worrall and Tania Dutnell who grew up in the area and felt a need for an agency with roots in the community.

They will be offering clients individual property files they can access online 24/7: this will show details of all viewings and feedback, and see any offers placed. Once a sale is agreed they can access property files to view the sale milestones.

Meanwhile prospective buyers will be encouraging to undertake virtual viewings.

The pair have over 25 years of agency experience between them and are both members of NAEA.

“We only work with people we know personally, who know the area intimately with all its quirks, rather than some big anonymous outfit working to a script from a call centre” says Dutnell.

They say they will be operating from home as a virtual office and see no reason to have the traditional shop window. “We want to keep the overheads down and spend any spare cash on keeping fees reasonable and improving the customer experience” according to Worrall.

They explain in a launch statement that one compelling reason for a home-based virtual business was their personal and family health challenges.

Tania’s daughter Sophie suffers from complex medical conditions that require round the clock care. Tania’s husband Dan is a full-time carer and she says that working in a traditional agency office would mean she would see a lot less of Sophie.

Helen’s early career in horse racing left her with a catalogue of ongoing injuries and says: “We both take the positives from life and, because we face some tough challenges, I think we are better at understanding those of our customers. I think we are both good listeners…and that’s not a skill you normally associate with estate agents!”