How to pick the right letting agent
You’re not short of options for letting agents, but how to you pick the right one?
A good letting agent is crucial for a smooth and successful rental experience. You want someone who aligns with your values, so we’ve put together some suggestions from what we’ve seen work and what didn’t, so you know what to look out for.
Understanding your agent's core values, so you know you’re not just a statistic. We’ve seen so many landlords recommended to move forward with a tenancy, whilst the agent ignored plenty of red flags all for the sake of hitting their targets. So, ask the agent what their core values are – if they don’t have an answer, that could be something to consider.
Targets are not a consideration for Mortlock & Joyce. So, one of our core values is quite simple, if we wouldn’t move the tenant into our own property, we wouldn’t recommend you would either.
Consider your agent's reputation, so search for their online reviews, such as Google or specialised review sites to gauge previous experiences. Keep an eye out for not just what landlords say, but their tenants too. If you find there is a negative experience, have they commented explaining in more detail what happened – as this can give you an idea on how they problem solve.
Seek recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues who have had positive experiences. Our tip here would ask for a specific recommendation for a person, not a company. As like in most companies you get good and bad. When you’re at the valuation stage, ask who you will be dealing with at each part of the process, as in most cases once your tenant is found, you’ll be moved over to a different department which can often mean you are liaising with call centres that have high staff turnover and are not familiar with your property. When working for companies that dealt with high volume, this was a regular complaint we would hear, so when launching our business, we knew we wanted to limit the number of clients we worked with, so you had the same contact from start to finish.
Responsiveness. Evaluate the letting agent's responsiveness during your initial interactions. Are they prompt in answering your queries? Do they provide clear and concise information? A letting agent who values communication will be readily available to address your concerns throughout the tenancy. Again, if you are happy with this, find out who you will be dealing with once a tenant moves in, as once you’re liaising with someone else this result could vary massively.
We’ve found a group WhatsApp chat to be highly effective, as landlords seem to prefer a more informal conversation, where typically replies are much quicker than emails. You can also see in real time when they’ve been read and replied to.
A trustworthy letting agent should be open about their fees. They should provide clear and detailed information about their services, fees, and the terms of the agreement, ensuring transparency from the beginning.
To chat with us, feel free to reach out to one of the team to see if we would be a good fit for you and your home.
