What makes the perfect letting agent?

Callie22

SirDag wrote: »

A lot to be said of the above, but how many of you found that the voice in your head was getting louder and louder, as well as angrier, as you were reading?

Sorry, but as I said I hate letting agents. It's incredibly difficult to find private LLs and in many areas you have no choice but to use a LA - in my town there are over 30, and when I moved here and tried to find a private LL my only option was the few small ads in the local paper or the handful of addresses that the local council could supply. I've never found a decent LA and I've had some really awful experiences with them - from lying to downright criminal dishonesty. There's really nobody to complain to if you have a problem with a LA - I've been there and done that and it's simply a waste of time. You're told simply to move on, which costs you as a tenant lots of money (and time!) and these 'business people' just carry on, usually having made a nice profit for doing not very much. Housing is so vitally important, it shocks me on a daily basis that you can be totally unqualified and irresponsible and still be in charge of the place where a person should be able to feel safe and secure. LAs do a lot of damage and I think that they do a lot of decent LLs a real disservice.

stephan1e_2

SirDag wrote: »

A lot to be said of the above, but how many of you found that the voice in your head was getting louder and louder, as well as angrier, as you were reading?

phew i was begining to think it was just me

SirDag

stephan1e wrote: »

phew i was begining to think it was just me

Weird wasn't it.

Callie should be writing novels. I was really getting into it.

DiscoPaul_2

Thanks for all the comments and feedback. No real surprises, honesty, clarity and being pro-active being the priorities.

Are there any thoughts out there from Landlords rather than tenants?

DiscoPaul_2

theartfullodger wrote: »

Honesty(letting agents ..... ;;; ### '@@@@@ &^^%$)

have some qualifications (letting agents need none)
Member of an industry body (letting agents don't need to be)
CRB checks on your staff & yourselves.. (letting agents don't need any)

Artful

Thanks for the advice, i'm in the process of this.

DiscoPaul_2

theartfullodger wrote: »

Go work for another agent 1st (anywhere!) for 6 months,,, then decide if you can face it...


Artful

Honestly... I would rather not do this, as I would like to build a business founded on different values and beliefs to the average letting agency. I would like to provide an exceptionally high level of service and clarity of communication and increase the business organically.

G_M

DiscoPaul wrote: »

Are there any thoughts out there from Landlords rather than tenants?

Errr....

Be fully trained.
Fully understand all (yes, ALL) landlord and tenant legislation.
Have a code of practice.
Be a member of a professional body (ARLA or similar) and adhere to their code of practice.

Go work for another agent 1st (anywhere!) for 6 months

Honestly... I would rather not do this, as I would like to build a business founded on different values and beliefs to the average letting agency.

Oh dear! Another start-up agent with NO experience thinking they know everything they need to know. You must either go get experience working for a decent agency for a while, or come form a background of self-managing landlord for 10 years during which time you'll have learnt most of what you need to know.

clutton_2

what makes the perfect letting agent ?

as a LL and Agent myself i would say firstly -

someone with the patience of Job....



someone who can deal with two utterly reasonable people who, when there is a deposit dispute, become utterly banshee-like and irrational.......



someone who knows the law on L&T

someone who has been a tenant and knows how badly some are treated and will treat his future clients with respect

someone whose admin systems are utterly exemplary

someone who is truthful and honest

someone who has had a fair bit of experience of lives tragedies.....


i occasionally use an extremely good letting agent for tenant find only .... if she does not phone me it is because there is nothing to tell me

if she does not tell me about a prospective tenant it is because she has ruled him out as a good tenant and therefore what is the point talking to me about him/her

She uses her gut instinct as much as credit checking/referencing and has been spot on up to now

She recognises that whilst voids are not what we want... a tenant who does not pay is an even worse situation and subsequently she just wont take anyone - if she is unsure sheh will talk to me about the prospective tenant

She assumes i trust her judgement (which i do because she has been doing it for a long time)

She will always fess up to errors - we all make them.... saying "i'm cringing here - sorry" which makes me respect her even more....

She will call me to tell me about any changes in the property as viewings are taking place

In other words... she's brill......

DVardysShadow

SirDag wrote: »

It will stand you in good stead if you get in the habit of only using one "N" when referring to the one that rents the property.

TENANT looks so much better than TENAT or TEANT. I would vote for 2 'N's

DiscoPaul_2

G_M wrote: »

Errr....


Oh dear! Another start-up agent with NO experience thinking they know everything they need to know. You must either go get experience working for a decent agency for a while, or come form a background of self-managing landlord for 10 years during which time you'll have learnt most of what you need to know.

If I knew everything I needed to know do you really think I would be asking for comments and opinions on here?

Also, I am and have been a self managing landlord for nearly 6 years.