The estate agency sector is perfectly suited to employing women with young children as part-time staff members, it has been suggested.

Gareth Robinson, who runs Guildford based firm Wow Property, told the Daily Telegraph that 90 per cent of his 55 staff members are women with children younger than six years old, with a further six per cent having older children.

He argued that while some may think that offering flexible working is impractical for estate agents, people should take a closer look at how compatible the requirements of both mothers and buyers are.

"Most people work a normal day and are looking for property out of office hours. That makes it perfect for employing women with young children," Mr Robinson explained, adding that the hours can be flexible.

Last month, work practices expert Lynette Swift, managing director of Swiftwork, said that flexible working could offer valuable benefits to employers.

"Flexibility enables small business to retain their key staff who have valued knowledge and skills," she commented.

According to figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, 58 per cent of women who asked their employer for flexible working did so as a result of their childcare needs.