All agents have different ways of the process they take from start to finish to market your property.
Take a look at the methods we use here at Abbey Property!
The 13 Steps Abbey Property Takes To Market Your Property!
I’ll explain the tried and tested way we, at Abbey Property, conduct ourselves from start to finish when marketing your property.
We carry it out this same process consistently regardless of the situation, or type of property, to ensure customer satisfaction every time.
You’ll have probably made many phone calls and email enquiries to different agents to enquire about their services and pricing.
And if Abbey Property is one you are, or already have considered starting the process with, this is what you can expect…
1. Initial Contact
We’ll start a conversation surrounding our generally offered services, and rough price points suited to your requested needs.
It’ll be the first opportunity for both of us to gauge the first impressions on whether initiating business will be the next step to take.
And if so, I’ll look to set up a time and day to visit you at the property and have a further discussion.
2. Visiting You and Your Property
On the morning of the visit, you’ll receive a text message to confirm our time to visit, as well as the full address.
I’ll pop round for a no-obligation informal look around the property, to then have a discussion with you on what your wants and needs are from a letting agent.
With the aim to determine what level of service is right for you and discuss figures on achievable rent and the fees we charge.
For a better insight into what factors go into determining the fee charged for a property, have a look at our article, “Landlord Fees Working With Abbey Property“.
3. Giving You The Opportunity To Think
Whether it be that you’ve got other agents visiting you, or you want some time to mull over our marketing material.
We’ll leave you with our research of findings on the general area, and the comparable report we use to gauge an accurate and realistically achievable rental figure.
It’s a great time to read through the agency terms and conditions that we provide you with, take some time to read through our Google reviews, landlord testimonials on the website, and our other featured articles to give you a gist of our service and individual expertise in the lettings market.
You’ll need to be sure you’re happy with who will market your property.
4. Good To Go?
Once we’re both happy with all the information given to proceed with marketing your property, I’ll request a copy of the signed Agency Terms and Conditions (provided to you on my previous visit) and look to visit again.
But this time, to take photographs of both the interior and exterior ready to be professionally edited, measure up and create 2D and 3D floorplans to the correct scale, and shoot a full in-depth video tour of the property, the grounds it sits on, and the surrounding area to market your property in the best light possible.
5. Time To Market Your Property
At this point, I’ll have the media ready to return to the office, draw up the advert complete with a full description, and proceed to market your property in its best light.
The point of this is to pre-qualify tenants by giving them as much detailed information as possible at first glance so that it lessens the chances of time being taken up on applicants that don’t either meet the criteria, or the property’s features meet their needs.
We’ll market your property on Zoopla, OnTheMarket, and Boomin, as well as on our own website where we already have pre-qualified applicants that have enquired with us over the last 30-90 days.
6. Answering Calls and Emails To Find The Right Fit
At this point, we’re used to having a raft of enquiries coming through for the property. Depending on the requirements you’ve asked us to seek out, I’ll further pre-qualify the applicants to see whether they’re matching the criteria you ask for.
And if they do, look to book them in for a viewing, to ensure they’re confident the property is suitable for them.
Every so often, we get enquiries where they offer to place a deposit to secure the property without seeing it, we refrain from this practice as much as possible to keep a fair system in place for all.
7. Providing You With Regular Feedback
I’d look to provide you with weekly feedback on current progress. Taking viewing feedback on board is vital to match the needs of the current market, as it does change quite frequently.
Whether there is, or isn’t feedback to give, I find it important to keep you as a landlord in the loop.
8. We Found A Suitable Applicant!
So, we’ve found a potential tenant that ticks the initial criteria boxes. Great!
At this point, we will pause the marketing on your property, placing it on hold whilst we conduct the referencing.
I’ll arrange to take a holding deposit. This shows commitment on their part. I’ll then request documentation to help me vet and reference the applicants and gauge a better idea of their lifestyle and financial standing.
Together with a credit check application, to help ensure they’re financially responsible and don’t have a recent history of adverse credit.
To give you an idea of how we reference applicants, check out our How To Reference A Tenant article, it’ll provide you with in-depth information about what’s involved, and why.
9. If You Want, You Get Final Say
Once done, as long as there’s no cause for concern, and the applicant has been transparent with the information they gave, I’ll then pass the relevant information to you to make a final decision.
If it makes you more comfortable, we can look to arrange to meet the applicants, whether it be in person or via a video call so you can ask any further questions.
With final approval from you, we can then proceed to take either 1 month or 5 weeks deposit from the tenant, as well as the first month’s rent in advance.
The choice of 1 month, or 5 weeks, is entirely up to you and your preference.
I’ll then register the deposit in the Deposit Protection Scheme as custodial insured, protected through the duration of the tenancy.
If for whatever reason there is an issue that causes us not to proceed, we will restart the process to market your property once again. Our sole focus is to find you top-tier tenants.
10. Producing A Water-tight Inventory
This stage is optional; however, we do highly recommend you allow us to conduct this.
We’ll look to visit the property again and produce a detailed check-in inventory and schedule of the condition report. The report will consist of pictures of almost every aspect of the property, its grounds, its fixtures and fittings, and any items in it.
Our director has written a full in-depth article regarding the importance of this document and having it done thoroughly, along with the pitfalls if you don’t. Have a look at our Inventory Check-In Report article here.
11. Getting The Paperwork Drawn Up And Signed
We’ll then draw up the Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement with all the relevant information, such as the length of the agreement, agreed rental payments, when the payments are due, and much more.
It’s a detailed agreement that closes the door to any miscommunication going forward. We’ll have this, as well as the inventory (if we conducted one), acknowledged and signed by the tenants.
Abbey Property takes the privacy of any and all personal information seriously. Hard copies of landlord or tenant documentation will either be returned or destroyed.
We’ll log all electronic copies on a cloud-based system, backed up for our records.
12. Arranging A Move-in Date
I’ll then arrange for a suitable move-in date and provide the tenants with a few documents.
The Government How To Rent Guide, a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate, Prescribed Information for the deposit being protected, a Tenancy Deposit Scheme leaflet, an Understanding Damp & Mould leaflet, and if applicable, a Gas Safety Certificate.
Once they have this, we’ll exchange keys, and any relevant information for management companies etc, ready for them to enjoy the property as their new home!
13. Our Fee, Once Our Job Is Complete
Once the job of tenanting the property is complete, the initially agreed letting fee, and if applicable, our management fee will be sought from you.
Our usual practice is for it to be deducted from the first month’s rent, with any outstanding remainder paid to us.
Next Steps
If you had chosen the management service, we at Abbey Property will oversee the ongoing management of the tenancy, address and respond to tenant queries, and only refer to you for authorisation of remedial works or other important aspects of the tenancy – that as letting agents – we cannot authorise.
Otherwise, if it was a tenant-find service you opted for, we’ll forward the relevant contact details for one another to both the landlord and tenant to communicate going forward.
Who Knows So Much Went Into Renting A Property?!
As you can see, the job we undertake for each property is a lengthy one!
Amongst being compliant, we strive to provide the best service given by any agent in Luton!
If you have any specific requirements that I hadn’t mentioned above, feel free to give me a call and we can discuss whether it’s possible for it to be incorporated with your property!
We’re always looking for good quality properties, along with responsive landlords to take on board and work with us.
