No sleep for the worried

STATIC house prices and fewer sales are keeping estate agents awake at night, according to one property expert.

A report by budget hotel chain Travelodge has found that in the UK, estate agents get less sleep than other professionals due to credit crunch worries and the housing market slump. The survey showed that they get a mere five hours and 50 minutes a night – more than two hours less than the eight hours recommended.

Martel Maides director Keith Enevoldsen (pictured) said he wasn't surprised by the news, but didn't think it was quite so bad in Guernsey.

'I get more sleep than that and would have thought most estate agents in Guernsey do. However, the job is quite stressful at the moment and I expect there are plenty of people who lie awake thinking about the state of the housing market. This is the most stressful time for estate agents since the early 90s. At the moment house values are holding steady, but the number of transactions is down and from an estate agent's point of view that's bad because many are paid on commission.'