What helps make a good letting agent?
Mary-Anne Bowring 24/05/2019
2852
Introduction: The Importance of a Good Letting Agent
Social media often showcases questionable ‘eviction notices,’ making it crucial to find a professional letting agent who upholds high standards. Landlords and tenants alike should choose an agent who ensures a smooth and fair rental experience.
Researching a Letting Agent
Before selecting an agent, do your own research:
- Review their marketing materials—are property listings professional?
- Check online reviews for unbiased insights into their service quality.
- Confirm their membership in professional bodies like ARLA, ensuring accountability and ethical standards.
Key Questions to Ask a Letting Agent
When shortlisting agents, ask:
- How long have they been in business?
- How do they handle maintenance issues?
- What is their accounting process?
- What training do staff receive?
- What does their fully managed service include?
- How proactive are they in finding tenants?
- What technology do they use for documentation and communication?
Why Professionalism Matters in Lettings
A good letting agent acts as a bridge between landlords and tenants, ensuring smooth transactions, legal compliance, and prompt issue resolution. Unprofessional agents can cause disputes, financial losses, and tenant dissatisfaction.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Landlords should be wary of:
- Poor communication and slow maintenance response times.
- Hidden fees and unclear service agreements.
- Lack of compliance with industry standards, which can lead to legal trouble.
Choosing Ringley as Your Letting Agent
At Ringley, we prioritize professionalism, transparency, and customer satisfaction. We offer:
- Competitive pricing with value-for-money services.
- A dedicated team trained to handle all aspects of property management.
- User-friendly technology for seamless documentation access.
For more information, visit 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.