What should you look for in a letting agent…
Based on our experience, we have compiled a list of the key factors for all landlords to consider when deciding on the best letting agent to work with.
What Should I Look for In a Letting Agent? [as a landlord]
What Matters Most? Plus-Points To Look For In A Letting Agent
What’s most important will differ depending on the reasons why a landlord has decided to appoint a letting agent. All landlords should first start by asking themselves: ‘why do I want to work with a letting agent?‘ and ‘what services do I require from a letting agent?’ this question should answer itself.
On one hand, if a landlord has a property they wish to rent out, as a minimum they need to consider how well a particular letting agent can market their property.
On the other hand, if a landlord is time-conscious and is trying to avoid the day-to-day pressures and duties that come along with renting out a property, it is important for them to explore tenancy management services when searching for what to look for in a letting agent.
You may be unhappy with the performance of your current letting agent and wish to scope out alternative options. In this case, you need to establish what your current letting agent or service is lacking in.
Once a landlord has identified their reasons for wanting to work with a letting agent, next they must establish which letting agent is best suited to fulfil their needs.
When I Look For A Letting Agent, What Separates a Good Letting Agent from a Bad One?
Again, the answer to this question will depend on what benchmarks a landlord is using to determine ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
For example, a landlord may deduce that Agency A is ‘bad’ because they don’t provide the full list of services on their website, which in turn causes a landlord to assume that Agency A is unable to meet their requirements.
In contrast, if the same landlord views Agency B’s website and they clearly display an entire catalogue of the services available, on first impressions the landlord could assume that Agency A is a ‘bad’ agent and Agency B is a ‘good’ agent and therefore the best option for them.
However, this isn’t the smartest way to determine who to work with.
Certainly, first impressions are important as they can have a huge impact on a landlord’s entire experience. Hence, it’s not a comforting sign if a letting agent doesn’t clearly display basic information such as contact details, who they are and what they do.
After all, a landlord is potentially going to rely on a letting agent to market their property and needs every reassurance that they can trust that the person they are putting in charge has the necessary skills and experience.
If a letting agent isn’t doing a great job of selling themselves – this won’t instil a landlord with much faith.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Contact
When it comes to things like the services a letting agent offers, whilst a brief overview is straightforward and can be provided as a guideline for landlords, at the same time – all landlords have specific requirements and lists can become exhaustive and off-putting as some features may not be applicable to all.
Rather than judging a book by its cover, if a letting agent otherwise meets a landlord’s main requirements, the best way for them to find out more, (such as details on services offered), is to get in touch with them directly either via email or phone.
Not only does this help to avoid confusion, but it presents the opportunity for any queries and concerns to be addressed by a real person and rather than assuming needs cannot be met, it leaves room to explore what a letting agent is both able and willing to do for landlords who choose to work with them.
After all, if a landlord decides to get in touch with a letting agent, the chances are they’ve already identified them as someone they could possibly see themselves working with and having an open conversation, gives both parties a better idea of whether they will be suited to work together.
I’m Still Not Sure
For many people, being able to put a name to a face (or at least a voice) can help to appease most initial doubts they may have and is usually enough for them to decide whether they wish to move forward with a letting agent.
That said, anyone can sing their own praises, but the customer experience does not lie.
It eliminates any bias and helps things to become black and white. Landlords should always do their due diligence and be as confident as possible that they are selecting the best letting agent to support them with their rental property and help protect their investment.
Anything Else?
With any hope, this article will have helped you to identify the key considerations all landlords should make when selecting the right letting agent for them to work with.
That said, we understand that this list will differ depending on what type of landlord a person is and what services they require assistance with.
Every landlord is unique and likes to do things their own way, so this will impact their decision-making process by knowing what to look for in a letting agent.
For more information on reasons why you may wish to work with a letting agent and different things to consider, take a read of our article What Is The Worth In Using A Letting Agent? where we go into much more detail.
Here are some other articles and information you may find useful:
