Letting Agent Talk
Letting Agents : Why your perfectionism will ruin you and your lettings agency
Over the last two years, I have met hundreds of letting agents, mostly business owners, be they independent letting agents or franchised letting agents … and there is something I have noticed about 70% to 80% of them … their attempt at running the perfect lettings agency. When I say “perfect letting agency” to these…
Christopher Watkin
Video – This agent tells YOU how he increased his managed stock by 200 properties in 2 years
Yes, this video tells you exactly how this letting agent grew his business, grew his managad stock by 200 properties in the last two years – without having to drop fees. I warn you though .. its 40 mins long and very indepth … but if you serious about growing your lettings agency, let Daren…
Christopher Watkin
Commission Structure for Letting Agents – Which is the best?
If you’re a boss of a lettings agency and not happy with how the way your staff aren’t motivated to get new business, new landlords into your business, then take a look at what they get rewarded for. Until you change the rewards, your Negs and property managers are not going to change their behaviour,…
Christopher Watkin
Property maintenance: weathering winter storms.
Abigail, Barney, Clodagh and Desmond – what the first four severe storms were called following the Met Office’s decision to give bad weather names. It’s another reminder of how our little island gets battered and bruised by Mother Nature. Inclement weather shouldn’t take us by surprise but as we enter the season of gales, snow, sub…
ARPM
Swapping tenants mid tenancy ~ Importance of tenants attending check out.
Check Outs: In a recent survey in September 2015 the DPS (Deposit Protection Service) reported that nearly 50% of tenants do not bother to attend check outs. The survey was of 8035 tenants and those that had not attended are a reported huge 48%, nearly half of which said they had not been invited to…
Smoke alarms, EPC’s and floor plans.
Smoke alarm and CO2 detectors With the recent new legislation for landlords to provide such working alarms at the outset of new tenancies we have come across a handful of properties at check in since 1st October where landlords/agents have not fully complied with the new laws. Considering this leaves the inventory clerk, agent and…
Agency Essentials that every busy letting agent needs…
If you’re a letting agency business owner, you have limited time to spend on many tasks. You have to ensure that the business is gaining new ground and winning business, and this can only be achieved when you streamline your operations. Technology is playing an ever more critical role in helping property professionals stay competitive…
Joey – The Lettings Dog (Funny 60 second video)
I would just like to say thank you for all the notes about Joey, our rescue jack russell/ corgi do, after the post a few days ago. He is our office dog and and loves his two walks a day. His passions in life are chasing cats, barking at every dog that passes our house,…
Christopher Watkin
Retaliation Eviction – Can the Councils Cope?
Press release from Landlord Action: Today [Thursday 1st October], as part of The Deregulation Act 2015, a whole range of changes come into force which affect whether or not a landlord can serve a Section 21 notice on an assured shorthold tenancy (in England) as well as changes to the form itself. However, following lengthy…
Christopher Walkey
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms – do you have the right checks in place?
It’s been widely reported that landlords will be required by law to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties, under measures announced by the then Housing Minister Brandon Lewis back in March 2015. The Government’s aim is to create a safer private rented sector, and a key part of that is to…
Legionella risk assessments: I can hear the landlords across the country groan…
The letting industry is awash with rules, regs and requirements ranging from deposit schemes to referencing to immigration checks through to inventories, smoke alarms, gas safety checks and now legionella (legionnaires’ disease) risk assessments. I can hear the landlords across the country groan….. yet another hoop to jump through, yet another cost to bare and surely its all…
Seeking new landlords? Look at both ends of the spectrum.
You’ll all be familiar with the phrase ‘generation rent’ but a new report from economists at accountancy firm PwC suggests that the rental market is set to thrive and actually grow over the next 25 years. The research even goes as far as suggesting that over half of under 40s will be living in properties…
ARPM
How to gain the attention and trust of landlords
You believe are the best letting (estate) agent in your town or company, hell, you believe you are the best in the UK .. you are, as Tina Turner would put it, ‘Simply The Best’! That is what you believe, isn’t? However, have you ever wondered why you aren’t getting the business you deserve? The…
Christopher Watkin
Legionella and HSE Guidance – Why ignorance is not always bliss…
The HSE recently published its guidance document on Legionella risk assessment and control and more specifically the required response from landlords and managing agents (known affectionally as ‘ the duty holder ‘). Wonder if that title comes with an Oscar styled trophy? Love a bit of bling….. 🙂 Anyway; there are many, many, many discussions…
Landlord Action appeals to Ministry of Justice to transfer more evictions to the High Court.
The length of time it is taking to get a County Court bailiff appointment once a possession order has been granted, in some cases up to three months, is having considerable financial impact on landlords. As a result, Landlord Action is campaigning to enable more eviction cases to be transferred up to the High Court…
Christopher Walkey