Top 10 questions to ask before instructing a letting agent.

After buying a new rental investment property, the next job is to find tenants! Letting agents come in all shapes and sizes, but sorting the wheat from the chaff might be a harder task than you’d think.  We’ve put together a list of the most important questions to ask a prospective agent before instructing them to find tenants for you:

1) Are you a member of a regulatory organisation such as ARLA or NALS?

2) Are you a member of the SAFEagent scheme, an organisation whose members all hold client money protection insurance?

3) Will my property be advertised on both Rightmove and Zoopla?

4) Do you use an independent referencing agency to assess all potential tenants and can I see the final reference reports before committing to a tenancy?

5) Do you take a holding deposit from interested tenants when they make an offer, so that I can be sure that they are serious about renting my property?

6) How many lettings staff will be working on my property?

7) How many active tenants does your office have on its database?

8) How many similar properties have you let in the last few months?

9) On average how long would you expect it to take before you achieve an offer from tenants?

10) What are your branch opening hours?

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Homesellers face months of delays

The latest market analysis from House Buyer Bureau has revealed that home sellers in some parts of the country are facing Local Authority search waiting times of more than 90 days, with growing legal bottlenecks increasingly putting transactions at risk before they reach the finish line.   House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest Local Authority…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The art of getting noticed as a recruiter in a world noisy with AI Why personal branding, humour and sharp messaging cuts through all – meet Daniel Fisher MREC Cert RP As a two times editor, journalist, author, analyst and consultant I get to…
Read More
can you drink tap water
Letting Agent Talk

What tenants really want from a HMO in 2026

By Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, Leaders part of LRG   Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), also referred to as multi-lets or room rentals, have come a long way in the past couple of decades. Once thought of as very much at the bottom of the accommodation pile, with a reputation for being sub-standard, many…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Rethinking Property Transactions Starts with Communication

By Cara Stanbridge, Head of Relationship Management at Nova Legal   Across the UK property market, transactions are in turmoil. Ongoing economic pressures are impacting house prices, mortgage deals, and overall demand, reflecting the uncertainty nationwide. In fact, a recent study found that for those who are taking the plunge to buy or sell this year,…
Read More
Breaking News

B2L mortgage costs climb 64% in a decade

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the average monthly cost of a buy-to-let mortgage has climbed by as much as 64% over the last decade, as landlords continue to face mounting financial pressure alongside sweeping reforms introduced via the Renters’ Rights Act.   Benham and Reeves…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Renters’ Rights Act: What Estate Agents Need to Understand About the Tenant Impact   Author Andrew Stanton Editor EAN   The Renters’ Rights Act represents the biggest structural shift to the private rented sector in decades, and while much of the conversation has focused…
Read More