Industry charity aims to boost agent focus on wellbeing

Industry charity and mentoring group Agents Together is planning to help firms prioritise mental wellbeing.

It has developed a checklist that agents can use to promote wellbeing in the workplace and is keen to get firms to consider the issue beyond events that took place in the recent 
Mental Health Awareness week.

The checklist highlights wellbeing signs that agents can look out for such as decreased productivity or an inability to make decisions as well help that people can get.

The document, available to download below, can be used as a poster in your place of work, or Sarah Sarah Edmundson, chief executive of Agents Together, suggested it could be included when new staff join or in the company handbook.

She said: “Wellbeing is proven to be a vital part of business culture that ultimately improves overall business success.

“Ensuring employers and employees focus on wellbeing techniques and measures means they can better cope with the high-pressure environment that is often present in estate agency.

“But aside from that obvious business benefit - the most important part is that it improves people’s lives - and that is invaluable.”

Edmundson said the charity is close to launching a new website as it approaches its second birthday on 9 June.

She said Agents Together has now made 587 mentorship matches thanks to its 304 volunteer mentors. 

Edmundson added: “The next stage for us, which will be reflected in the new site, is helping agents of all sizes and models to prioritise wellbeing.

“We want to take the hard part out of it by providing free to access resources such as the checklist but we will soon be releasing a template wellbeing policy, a variety of digital posters and guides, videos produced by expert mental health professionals especially for Agents Together and a directory of recommended tools.

“We know how busy it can be in a typical agency world and we want to help make wellbeing a priority by bringing everything together in an accessible and digestible format under our exciting new project called ‘Thrive.’”

You can view the full checklist here.