What helps make a good letting agent?
Mary-Anne Bowring 24/05/2019
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What makes a good letting agent?
We often see, on X formerly known as Twitter, an ‘eviction notice’. Hard to know if this is real or just fake news but if this is a genuine notice from a letting agent to their tenant - pink felt tip aside - there are so many reasons why this is completely unacceptable that it’s hard to know where to begin.Here are some tips to help landlords – and tenants – find a professional letting agent who will work hard on your behalf – and who can be relied on not to deliver notices like this one! It is easy to get a feel for an agent simply by doing some research of your own online. Sam says a good starting to point is to look at their marketing material. How do they currently advertise their properties? Are the pictures professional and the descriptions well written? Find out what others say about them. Take a look at their online reviews - which cut through the marketing blurb companies send out - to get a feel for the level of service they offer. Where are they located and are they members of a professional body such as ARLA? – This is important as it not only gives you an idea of the standards they are expected to maintain but means they will also have a complaints system in place if things go wrong.
What should you ask your agents?
Once you’ve shortlisted a handful of agents, here are some questions to ask them individually:
- How long have they been in business? A firm that is well established and has a solid client base is generally a better bet.
- How do they deal with their maintenance ie, how does the process work? If it isn’t dealt with quickly and professionally it can cost you a good tenant.
- What is their accounting process?
- How do they train their team and how often does training occur?
- Check what their fully managed service includes and what it doesn’t, so you are fully aware of the charges
- How proactive are they when it comes to finding tenants?
- What technology do they use? It is important that you can access all documentation easily
Choosing Ringley
At Ringley we aim to tick all these boxes. We're confident we offer value for money and a great service for our clients - and we're here to answer your questions, so please contact our Ringley Group team at www.unaliving.co.uk
Planetrent Properties
info@planetrent.co.uk
0208 0599 550 (for sales)
Under Offer: This term applies to a property where the landlord is considering an offer but remains on the market. It implies that further offers may still be considered until the landlord formally accepts or declines the current offer.
Let Agreed: This term indicates that a landlord has provisionally agreed to enter into a rental agreement with a prospective tenant, pending additional checks and referencing. It doesn't require the prospective tenant to have paid a holding deposit.
Let: This term signifies an established binding rental agreement between the landlord and tenant.
For both lettings and sales, the guidance addresses additional terms:
New On The Market: This term is used for a property not advertised since its last sale or rental. It should only be used for a brief period.
New Instruction: It applies to a property assigned to an agent for marketing recently, even if it was previously listed with another agent without being sold or rented.
New and Exclusive: This term refers to a property that is either new on the market or a new instruction, exclusively available through a specific agent or portal.
New Method of Sale/Let: This term is used when a property is being marketed for sale or rent using an alternative approach to the original advertisement, such as transitioning to an auction or sealed bid.
Reduced: This term indicates that a property's price has recently been reduced. The reduction should be genuine and comply with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's guidelines on pricing practices.