ESTATE agents’ jobs used to be, well, safe as houses, but these days, with the market more complex than ever before, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in this trade.

So this new six-part series puts them in the spotlight, as they broker the biggest purchases most of us will ever make. We meet estate agent to the superrich Gary Hersham, who conducts his work in some of the world’s most expensive postcodes.

He is looking after a £39m townhouse (which has eight bathrooms, a private gym and a cinema) situated in Mayfair W1, central London. But up in County Durham, Lynne Blaney deals in a whole different game – where houses start at auction for £1.

Meanwhile, rookie estate agent Lewis Rossiter works in Exeter, Devon, one of the UK’s most desirable areas, and he’s feeling the pressure, what with a pregnant wife and a demanding client who wants a quick sale.