An estate agent in Heaton, Bolton, has launched a new website with a unique feature...

Chorley Old Road-based Edwards’ new and easy-to-use website is now live, and includes a “chat with us” facility which allows customers to talk online to staff.

This is said to make the experience more personal and friendly, and is more immediate than email.

The “chat with us” feature runs during office hours.

Staff is excited about the new option for customers, and hope it will prove popular with buyers and sellers.

The Edwards’ website is known as a “responsive” website, which recognises which device it is being downloaded to, whether it is a PC, mobile phone or tablet. It then respond s automatically with the correct version for the user’s device. This makes navigation around the website easier.

More than 50 per cent of property searches are now made via mobile phones or tablets, and Edwards has researched and developed their website to reach these and other users.

Edwards also only uses professional digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras with a wide angle lens, as opposed to the compact digital cameras which are often used, with the aim of providing the best property photographs.

The new website is the latest move in the rebranding project which was started at Edwards in January 2014. Since then, new contemporary “for sale” boards have been launched, along with new logos and a complete office refit including LED displays.

Edwards does not use contracts for customers to sign, or tie-in periods. The company also offers discounted selling fees until the end of February.