Why should landlords use a letting agent for viewings and enquiries?
The property market is rather crazy right now, whether is the rental market or the sale market it seems like everyone is looking to move. We are currently getting 50 plus enquiries for most
properties we advertise. That number of enquiries and calls is just one reason why using a letting agent to manage your viewings and enquires is the only sensible choice in a mad rental market.
Let your letting agent deal with endless enquiries
Let’s be honest unless you are a full-time landlord you are unlikely to have time to answer all the calls, emails and enquiries that come in for your rental property. Particularly at the moment when you could be dealing with 100s of emails and calls before you even arrange viewings. Most of those calls and emails are also coming in at ‘’outside working hours’’ times of the day. Don’t be surprised by calls at 10 pm or even 6 am depending on the prospective tenant in question, plus the endless emails.
There is a good chance you will end up missing enquiries or mixing up applicants which could lead to missing out on the ideal tenant or confusing two applicants.
But if you hand over the enquiries process to a letting agent, you get peace and quiet. We can deal with all the endless enquiries and stupid questions. We can filter through all the viewing requests and create a manageable shortlist of potential tenants all without you have to answer a single phone call.
A letting agent can ask all the right questions
When you are being swamped with enquiries it is easy to lose track of which you answered and what the replies were. Was it person B who mentioned they had a cockerpoo or was that person A? Maybe person A was the one who has 2 kids? Or maybe that was person C and person A was the one with who was so desperate to book a viewing because they are about to be homeless?
Now times the above by the 50 enquiries we mentioned, yeah that seems like a nightmare, right? And let’s not even get into the process of separating out the key information from all the noise.
As letting agents, we are experts in asking the right questions to ensure we have a really good understanding of the background and situation of each potential applicant. From that, we can create a selection of candidates who match your ideal tenant and will suit the rental property on offer.
Managing viewings to your benefit
Even if you manage to cope with handling all the enquiries, silly questions and phone calls at unsocial hours, the next step, viewings, is no easier. First up you need to account for the time to complete the viewings. Not to mention that in the current climate you also have to consider the issue of being Covid-safe.
Have you wiped down every surface the applicants touched? Did you make sure to open all the windows to improve airflow? Have you left long enough between viewings to get things cleaned and ready again?
Then you find not all of them turn up which wastes more of your time. Plus, the time-wasters who ask if they can have a dog and 3 kids in a 1-bed studio apartment on the 9th floor of a tower block.
By using a letting agent, you avoid all these headaches, we ensure all property viewings are managed as safely as possible with lots of disinfecting and by trying to keep viewing groups small.
A letting agent gives you the space to choose your tenant
As letting agents, we have heard it all and nothing about a potential tenant’s situation will surprise us anymore. But this is not the case for most landlords, and it is all too easy to end up choosing a tenant based on their situation alone, for better or worse, rather than based on all the information available.
By working with a letting agent, we can filter out the noise and give you clear and honest advice regarding each of the potential tenants and our recommendations for choosing the right tenant for your rental property. We work with our landlord as an advisor and sounding board for any rental decisions you need to make from choosing a tenant to deciding if the kitchen needs an update.
Finding the ideal tenant for your rental property
Your rental property is an important asset and so you want to make sure you find the perfect tenants for your property. Most landlords will have an idea in their head about who the ‘’perfect’’ tenant is. But the truth is that the perfect tenant rarely exists and a tenant that appears “perfect” on paper may not be the ideal tenant for your rental property specifically.
Our personal service means we can take the time to get to know your needs as a landlord. We also take the time to call and speak with each potential tenant to discuss their specific situation. This means we can give you as much information as possible on each potential tenant, so you know the tenant you choose will be perfect for your property.
Our goal is always to keep everyone happy. We want happy landlord and happy tenants because when that happens, being a letting agent is so much more rewarding.
To find out more about our full range of landlord services including flexible pick and mix options click here.