High profile London firm Portico says it has entered a “new age of estate agency” after being formally appointed to Airbnb’s professional co-host programme.

The agency set up its Portico Host arm in January last year as a short-term letting service primarily managing Airbnb lets.

The business has now become just the sixth Airbnb co-host partner in the UK and the first mainstream lettings business to join the programme, which was launched at the start of this year.

Customers do not need to have a property listed with Portico for sale or rent to use the Portico Host service, as it is open to all home owners and residents with properties or rooms to let throughout zones 1-4 in London.

Through the programme, Airbnb will share best practices, provide additional support, and enable further technological integration.

Fiona Patterson, new business director of Portico, said the service has generated leads.

She said:  “Airbnb is an attractive option for home owners and landlords. With a good response rate it has helped to generate new leads.

“For landlords, the Airbnb management service offers a unique platform to seamlessly move from listing on Airbnb to listing on Rightmove, Zoopla and On the Market with Portico. As such, Portico has seen a good conversion of properties from Airbnb to longer term rentals.

“Our partnership with Airbnb is the beginning of the new age of estate agency.

“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.

“It is a unique proposition. An established business on the high street, offering an in-house service specifically designed for short-term lets, backed by an award winning and trusted brand that truly understands how to look after a home.

“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.

“The co-host programme is designed to run alongside our 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.

“With this service, we are one step closer to offering a full-service solution for every element of home ownership and optimising the consumer experience, which is our goal.”

Portico Host offers a range of property management services and is supported by the in-house Portico handyman and  housekeeping teams.