In recent years, the market for renting out residential property has undergone a dramatic expansion and there has been a strong growth in buy-to-let properties. Most landlords appoint an agent, known as a letting agent, for handling the rental. There are numerous letting agents and estate agencies offering their services, but how do you pick one? Let’s find out:
- Shop around
Doing a comparison of the services of various letting agents in your area is essential and definitely not a waste of time. You will be placing your most valuable asset in their hands so it is best to do your homework.
- Get recommendations
Reach out to other people in your circle who have rented their properties and handed off the task to a letting agent. Ask them to give you recommendations of agents they trust and rely upon.
- Go over the small print
You need to be clear about the service you will be getting when you make a choice. Most letting & estate agents come up with tempting advertisements or sales pitches, but you should ensure that they can live up to their claims. Don’t base your choice only on price because if it is cheap, doesn’t mean it is satisfactory. Go over the small print so you are not hit with hidden charges later on.
- Do your homework
The professional and pro-active letting agents are those who become members of accredited bodies. In order to do so, they have to fulfill requirements like certain years of experience or undergoing proper training. Hence, agents that are members of such bodies can be relied upon to provide professional services.
- Choose the service
You have to decide what you want the letting agent to do. Do you only want them to help you in finding tenants or you want them to manage the property completely? Keep this in mind when choosing a letting agent.