What is wrong with letting agents?

pioneer31

I've rented several times over the last few years and I seem to experience the same thing every time.


I see a place and ring up. "Oh that on has gone"


Yeh? So why are you still advertising it?


The other practice that I claim they are guilty of is trying to obstruct you from seeing nicer properties and steering you towards crappy ones that have been on their books for ages.


Just today I rang up about FOUR properties.


No.1 is taken (but still on their site).
No.2 has "tentative" interest. Now I'm pretty damn sure that until you put the money on the table, the viewings are allowed to continue
No.3 Well the tenant is doing the viewings and we'll have to see if and when they will do it. We have to tread careful with sitting tenants. ???????!???
No.4 Oh you can see that one (it's been on the books for ages).


So, a 25% success rate.




Then I ring up about another decent looking place. Oh we'll have to contact the current tenant and see if and when they can allow a viewing.


Nobody called me back, so I rang them.


Sorry we've been really busy. We'll definitely get back to you before today either way.


They didn't


Do they want business or not? What IS wrong with them?

theartfullodger

Quite a lot:

Pixie5740

Such a loaded question....where to start.

charliewocka

Might be better to change the subject of this thread to 'What is right with letting agents'

PasturesNew

They're not fit for purpose, that's what's wrong with them.

They're lazy, idle, clueless, poorly organised and lacking in any empathy that somebody trying to get a roof over their head finds the process kind of important to them ....

charliewocka

manipulating, conniving, stupid (when returning a property to them), incompetent, slick,


*please note, all of my opinions are based PURELY on my own personal experiences!

Innys1

And yet there are posters on here who insist they offer a worthwhile service. I'm not convinced such posters are entirely impartial........

For the record, I'm a landlord and avoid letting agents at all costs.

pioneer31

PasturesNew wrote: »

They're not fit for purpose, that's what's wrong with them.

They're lazy, idle, clueless, poorly organised and lacking in any empathy that somebody trying to get a roof over their head finds the process kind of important to them ....

This is the No.1 reason why I despise them.


They just exploit people's desperation

pioneer31

Innys1 wrote: »

And yet there are posters on here who insist they offer a worthwhile service. I'm not convinced such posters are entirely impartial........

For the record, I'm a landlord and avoid letting agents at all costs.

They offer nothing, they are just a middleman who creams some off the top.


I try to avoid them but sadly it seems about 90% of the landlords out there prefer to use a letting agent than just market the property themselves

His_Dudeness

If you're just starting up as a landlord you may find useful and re-assuring to use an agent.
If you have a large portfolio, or don't have much time, you may find useful or necessary to use an agent.
If you live far from your properties, you may find necessary to use an agent.

We can't make generalisations, it really depends on people and circumstances.

Debt_Free_Chick

pioneer31 wrote: »

This is the No.1 reason why I despise them.


They just exploit people's desperation

It's no different at the higher end of the market!

They act as though they're doing the tenant a favour, when tenants are holding the money that make their commission! I've been treated like an idiot more times than I care to recall