Jonboy
09-05-2006, 18:07 PM
I relaise this follows on somewhat from the last thread good bad points but I think it deserves its own thread.
in my experience there are well, 5 types of letting agents and 4 of them need to be avoided.
before you all scream at me, of course not all agents are like this, this is simply my expereince form talking to landlords who have had a bad experience with him, them or another company and a pattern seemed to emerge to me:
type 1 The Builder/Property maintenance company in disguise
many builders/ maintenance firms do a lot of work for lanlords and they think hey we could stick a person in our office and properties in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only form letting but also all the repairs we will be able to do
2 problems: firstly they and the person they employ know little about letting, secondly any slack week can be made up by doing more repairs to managed properties
type 2 The Estate Agent in disguise
they think... were in property right, lets chuck a few lets in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only from letting but also all the extra sales
2 problems: they know little about letting as it i very different to sales and they are primarily motivated by the thoguht that can in future sell your/sell you property
type 3 The big Landlord in disguise
they think, we already do aload of advertising for our property lets bung a few other peoples in the window and we'll....all together now.. make a load of cash.
2 problems: they do know about letting but they are priamrily concerned with letting their property and maybe even keeping yours empty. you are helping your biggest competitor!
type 4 The conman
he thinks i'll get a shop and stick a person in and properties in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only from letting fees but we can rip off tenants too
2 problems: as a conman they will care little about you, the tenants, the law or anything, and secondly they give you the impresiion that all agents are like this so when you meet type 5 you don't recognise us
type 5, A proper decent agent, who has fair practices, prices and works damn hard to be as good as they can, I grant you we are too far and few between but we are here!
if your having problems with "letting agents" ask yourself which "type" are they and you will probably find your answer!
in my experience there are well, 5 types of letting agents and 4 of them need to be avoided.
before you all scream at me, of course not all agents are like this, this is simply my expereince form talking to landlords who have had a bad experience with him, them or another company and a pattern seemed to emerge to me:
type 1 The Builder/Property maintenance company in disguise
many builders/ maintenance firms do a lot of work for lanlords and they think hey we could stick a person in our office and properties in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only form letting but also all the repairs we will be able to do
2 problems: firstly they and the person they employ know little about letting, secondly any slack week can be made up by doing more repairs to managed properties
type 2 The Estate Agent in disguise
they think... were in property right, lets chuck a few lets in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only from letting but also all the extra sales
2 problems: they know little about letting as it i very different to sales and they are primarily motivated by the thoguht that can in future sell your/sell you property
type 3 The big Landlord in disguise
they think, we already do aload of advertising for our property lets bung a few other peoples in the window and we'll....all together now.. make a load of cash.
2 problems: they do know about letting but they are priamrily concerned with letting their property and maybe even keeping yours empty. you are helping your biggest competitor!
type 4 The conman
he thinks i'll get a shop and stick a person in and properties in the window and we will make a load of cash, not only from letting fees but we can rip off tenants too
2 problems: as a conman they will care little about you, the tenants, the law or anything, and secondly they give you the impresiion that all agents are like this so when you meet type 5 you don't recognise us
type 5, A proper decent agent, who has fair practices, prices and works damn hard to be as good as they can, I grant you we are too far and few between but we are here!
if your having problems with "letting agents" ask yourself which "type" are they and you will probably find your answer!