And this is very much how we approached our website.

Yes it looks lovely. Of course it does; it was created by Cambridge's leading design studio The District. As well as designing all of our communications, they edit our writing, bless them. What would we do without them?

But aside from its handsome looks we wanted it to work hard for you, our valued customers. So we have introduced a number of interesting features. Here, in no particular order, they are...

So you have seen that rather lovely three bed cottage in that desirable village south of the city, but wait, that new development to the North of the city offers an extra bedroom and looks to be more energy efficient, and we like living in the city; does access to several parks (not to mention a short walk to the theatre) make up for having no exterior space. If only there was a way we could flag them all and compare against a series of metrics such as square meterage, number of bedrooms and EPC (energy efficiency) rating. Worry no more, there is!

Visit www.cookecurtis.co.uk.

With the proliferation of online estate agents and national chains landing on our doorstep you genuinely cannot beat local knowledge. And for better or worse, this is our manor. And actually we like to think better. It is knowing the good and gooder parts of the city (we are very lucky to be Cambridgians) , and the quirks and qualities of all of the lovely villages that surround the city, that means we can help you find your perfect home. As a part of the new website we are methodically working our way around the city and surrounding area and giving you a taste of what is on offer. Have a read and see how we explain your stomping ground! It's like Wiki, we are happy to update errors or oversights.

When we founded the company, we had no 5 year plan or exit strategy, we just wanted to serve our clients and grow a team of like minded people around us (more on that later). We wanted enough money to have a nice family holiday a year and treat our loved ones to something lovely now and again. So when we found out that doing things the way we did was lucrative, we wanted to put something back. What a privilege. As such we started the Cooke Curtis and Co. Annual Fund, where we helped a load of interesting organizations and community groups with much needed funding. We continue to work with Cambridge Food Hub, and Arthur Rank Hospice with their Christmas tree collection. The area of the site details all of these wonderful people.

Not the one your beloved grandad used to grow tomatoes in, but god that smell, they are a different level to the ones piled high at Waitrose (other supermarkets are available). Anyway, we digress, the green house to which we refer are houses that are green, green as in have good environmental credentials. This is becoming more and more important with increased energy prices and the pressure we all put on the environment, so something that savvy buyers are talking into account more and more. In this section we show you how you can reduce your impact on the environment and we share with you the pick of our most efficient homes. Well worth a look.

We'd be nothing without them. Genuinely. And finding the right people to walk the walk has been incredibly important to us as we have grown. Yes experience in an estate agency is valuable but it isn't the be all and end all (prize for the person who knows the origin of this saying). We are looking for the right 'people'; hard working, engaged, team players who bring something special to the team. Our people are as different as they are brilliant. We love them all in their own way.