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what landlords want?


westlea

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Recently I have managed to secure a job as a lettings agent. I will be training to do the job professionally and properly obviously, however the agency is small and needs to attract more landlords.

Basically my question to everybody is, within reason relating to costs etc. Is there anything extra that I could do to make the agency more appealing to landlords? Any special offers, or gimmicky type things to entice landlords to think of this agency above others?

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Westlea - how do you know that the training will be professional and proper? I have yet to meet an agency that good. The problem you describe is the most common as there are to many agents about IMO.

If you worked for me your first task would be to read every post on here about letting agents and their antics - go on do it now. Then you would not be asking us inane questions.

One of the most common questions from landlords is 'how do I get rid of my agent'. Why is that? Discuss.

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What landlords want is often completely different to what they should really be looking for.

Here's my quick list of what I want my lettings agent to provide:

* Landlords should select agents initially based on recommendations......so make sure yours has lots of positive testimonials

* Experience in letting is obviously important.....lots of it.

* Knowledge about all aspects.....including benefits tenants

* Qualifications are important.......along with legal know how..

* Long opening hours & contactable outside of office hours.

* Reasonable fees.......no silliness at contract renewal time.

* Ability to offer the full service......AST's, extensions to contracts, S21's, S8's, deposit protection, inventories, EPC's, standing orders, arranging maintenance, electrical & gas certs along with help, advice and recommendations.

* The will to put the customer (landlord) first.

Good luck

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Thank you Richlist, They told me that they are highly recommended so for now I will have to wait and see how much truth is in that. Experience, knowledge and qualifications will all come in time for me as they are already putting me on an apprenticeship and my first day hasn't even begun yet. Long opening hours and contactable outside of office hours is something which I will include off my own back if need be, after all, I'll be the one earning my commission. The reasonable fees and ability to offer the full service again will come with experience as well as knowledge. Putting the landlord first is and always will be my intention, after all, the amount of money houses cost to buy is phenomenal and anybody who pays that much for something and leaves it in somebody elses care deserves to be treated with respect, honesty and a little admiration. Thank You for your response.

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Just to add - yesterday I had a conversation with an agent's representative about viewings.

I asked what ID they ask for from the applicant. This was met with a blank stare. She had never checked anyone's photographic ID in 2 years of working for the same firm.

Add that too your list Westlea.

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Mortitia, I was looking for a more optimistic approach to this, I am reading posts on here as well and I am not interested in others antics as I am smart enough to know that those sorts of things are for the less professional, more desperate type of lettings agent. True that I don't know that my training will be professional and proper however I do know how to be so I will remain that way for the foreseeable future. True, the question may be inane to you but the typical response to that would be to keep on scrolling rather than try to get me to give up before I start. People want to get rid of their agents because of bad experience and in my anticipation and determination not to have any of my clients ask these questions about me, I thought I would do some research. Thank You for your response nonetheless.

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That was a much more pleasant response, Thank you Mortitia. I would expect the agency to do background checks on tenants, something I will bring up when I have settled a bit. Afterall it would be wrong to put just anyone anywhere. So would they put a paedophile near a young family, or can that sort of thing not really be checked? Or should I not care?

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Paedophile - well how would you find that out - unless he/she came in admitting it? It can't be checked by a letting agent. Read up on Sara's Law.

I'm talking about basic ID. Is the person who has given you details the same as on their passport or photo driving licence is the first thing you need to check.

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I always advise landlords to check for personal indemnity or professional liability insurance and membership of an ombudsman scheme. It's like a seal of personal credibility: 'If we try to swindle you, we can be held financially and professionally accountable'.

The latter condition is, as of very recently, mandatory - so that's good. Membership of a regulatory body like ARLA is all but required as well, as most such bodies make it a membership condition for members to have appropriate insurance. They also have codes of practice, which the ombudsman doesn't - it just mediates disputes.

One should also look for evidence that agents have dealt extensively with similar types of property to that which the landlord owns, and have experience finding the landlord's target tenant type. If an agent asked me about my property and preferred tenant straight off , I would be very pleased. If they then offered to show me a sample contract before I asked to see one, I would be overjoyed [hint hint].

This is obviously in addition to everything Richlist listed

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So member of the ombudsman, ARLA, wide range of tenants and sample contracts before the landlords ask. Thank you, is there anything else that anybody can think of like that? Little, simple things that would show the landlord that my genuine concerns are them.

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Ask what their procedure is if:

1 The rent isn't paid

2 What legal notices they serve?

3 What deposit scheme they use?

4 What are the extra costs you may be asked to pay?

5 Are the inventory's done in house. Ask to see an example and should be enclude pictures as well.

6 Do they charge for renewals?

7 What is the terminate notice to give to the agency?

8 Do they add an mark up on top of any maintenance/repair bills?

9 What legal training to the staff have. This is an important question because a lot of agents don't and just muddle through.

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Just to add - yesterday I had a conversation with an agent's representative about viewings. I asked what ID they ask for from the applicant. This was met with a blank stare. She had never checked anyone's photographic ID in 2 years of working for the same firm. Add that too your list Westlea.
I have just found out we credit check through homelet. Is that a good system?
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Homelet do not photo ID anyone - it is up the the agent to do that (if at all).

There are loads of these tenant checking agencies - personally I always do some double checks having been on the other end of referencing companies.

For instance - after 18 months tenants vacate, fail to clean flat properly, leave oven in bad state and have used roofspace (against my specific instruction) thus bringing large sooty marks to walls and ceilings which they don't clean. Male tenant became abusive on being told this.

Following week Homelet ring me only to ask 'did they pay the rent on time' - not interested in anything else. Yes they did pay the rent on time so they go on to do the same thing again and new LL thinks they have got a landlord reference.

Do you see the problem Westlea?

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I see the problem Mortitia and you feel as though the system should be a lot more thorough, so I should find out what their previous landlord really thought about them etc. I know I asked for this but don't you think it's possible that you could look into somebody a bit too much. For example, you could look at hundreds of reviews and they all be ok but one bad review could ruin it all.

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