A TRAVEL company has become the first in the UK to sign up to a new online service for independent travel agents to tap into the lucrative overseas property market.

SunSearch Holiday Homes provides access to more than 100,000 homes for sale across the globe.

Flightmasters, based in Blackburn Road, Bolton, aims be one of the first travel agents to reap possible financial rewards of up to £50,000 per year through overseas property sales.

Dave Smith, a director at Flightmasters, said: "This will provide us with an extremely cost-effective way to generate significant levels of additional income, without us having to invest huge amounts of time or overhaul our existing systems and premises.

"Using conservative estimates, we're aiming to sell six properties in the first year and more than doubling this in year two. Travel agents have an excellent knowledge of destinations and are more impartial than developers, who may have a vested interest in a particular country."

SunSearch also provides an online database of contacts including property law and accountancy experts and translators. Agents who sign-up will be able to claim between one per cent and 4.5 per cent commission on each property they sell.

Peter Whittle, sales director at SunSearch said: "SunSearch will present travel agents with a package that reduces the risk and simplifies the process of buying property abroad. It provides people with a local, UK-based point of contact. Ultimately, independent travel agents will become the first port of call for Britons buying foreign properties."

According to the Office of National Statistics, 2.2 million Britons own property overseas, while another 2.2 million plan to buy a foreign property.