The most telling comment on the industry yet?

“If you want to be an estate agent, just open a shop.” This was from Stoneham Estates, in Dagenham, Essex, whose partners appear to have undertaken a number of activities before starting their agency.

In last night’s BBC2 series, Under Offer: Estate Agents on the Job, mainly London agents talked about their market.

Eileen, of Douglas & Gordon,  collected more than £2,000 in parking tickets as she showed people around. The agents were also shown as reacting to a downturn in their local market, which may have been surprising to some.

And we also heard that Gary Hersham, of Beauchamp Estates, survives on four hours of sleep a night. However, one property he said he would have no difficulty with selling, is very shiny and appears on today’s  thankyou to Eye readers – yet was listed as the BBC programme went about its business last July.

It also emerges that the “star” of the first episode has boosted business to his employers, Bradleys.

Out of town, Lewis Rossiter’s appearance in the first programme spiked traffic to the firm’s website and increased valuations – with many requests for Rossiter himself to be personally involved.

Francis Marshall, managing director of Bradleys, said: “I am delighted that Bradleys have been seen so positively through this exposure.

“I had total confidence in Lewis’s professionalism and I knew his true character and good heart would shine through.”

Rossiter was not on last night’s programme when London agents talked about their market.