Letting Agents – Don’t let them bash you without a fight

My old man was a 11 year-old Irish immigrant from County Cork when his family landed on these shores in 1950.

It was a time when boarding houses displayed signs saying no blacks, no Irish, no dogs.

Rough times.

And being one of the first of the new small wave of Irish kids in his class my dad was targeted by bullies.

_Paddy b***ard_ _Spud muncher_ _thick tinker_ were just some of the barbs thrown his way.

His reaction was to fight _ literally. Punch ups a plenty. The bullying eventually ended.

In fact _Paddy_ Lyons became his nickname and was something he wore as a badge of honour.

He always used to say to me _I_d rather take a hiding than be bullied._ He bashed his way out of the firing line.

Now if you are a letting agent or have a lettings department you_re in the line of fire at the moment too. In a lot of cases very unfairly.

Listening to Radio Five this morning it was clear the latest Public Enemy Number Ones are letting agents. The public it would seem hate you and the Government has latched onto it hence the focus on fees.

But how do you fight back against accusations of being heartless money grabbers charging exorbitant fees for sod all?

Well you might not want to even defend yourselves _ that_s your choice.

Or you could think about fighting back, not literally a la Paddy Lyons, but that would certainly generate more headlines.

Here are four ideas:

Start a regular blog to get across to the haters what you actually do for a living. Share your experience, expertise and how and why you earn your living. Show your humanity.

Remind your existing landlords why you are worth the money they pay you.

Get professionally written up testimonials and case studies from tenants and landlords on your websites and within your marketing materials.

Write a guide aimed at helping tenants. (I have a white label of this type of guide for sale on a postcode exclusive basis.)

The way you are perceived by the public matters and by taking the time, making an investment and sticking up for yourselves you can all influence this currently negative perception.

Thanks for reading and good luck.

Jerry

PS: Ping me an email saying Paddy Power if you want to know more about the white label letting guide for tenants.

 

Jerry Lyons

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Section 8 Reforms: What Landlords Need to Know About Longer Notice Periods and Stricter Rules

By Allison Thompson, National Lettings Managing Director, LRG As the Renters’ Rights Bill continues its progress through the House of Lords, landlords should be preparing for a much tighter framework around possession. One of the most significant changes proposed is the reform of Section 8, the legal route for regaining possession where a specific reason…
Read More
New Build for Merseyside
Breaking News

British new-build demand sees quarterly decline

The latest new-build market insight from Property Inspect has revealed that buyer demand for new-build homes remained largely static between the first and second quarter of this year, although buyer appetites for new homes remained robust in a number of major cities. The New-Build Demand Index (Q2 2025) from Property Inspect provides a view of…
Read More
Breaking News

Labour to miss housing target by eight years

The latest analysis by West One Loans, a leading provider of property finance and specialist mortgages, reveals that despite overseeing an increased level of work starting on new homes, it appears that, as we approach their one-year anniversary in power, Labour still needs 12 years to honour its headline manifesto pledge on new-build housing delivery.…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Sandbanks crowned most expensive seaside spot

New data from Rightmove shows that Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset is the most expensive coastal area in Great Britain, with an average asking price of £1,282,565 Canford Cliffs in Poole is second, with an average asking price of £974,635, and Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire is third (£728,460) Sandbanks is now the only seaside spot above £1million:…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Tracker – 01/07/25

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.57% -0.05% -0.83% 5-year fixed 4.55% -0.04% -0.45%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.69% -0.13% -0.98% 5-year fixed 3.87% -0.01% -0.36%   Average…
Read More
Breaking News

Housing Insight Report Covering May 2025

Sales On average, there were around 11.5 homes placed for sale per member branch in May 2025. Lettings The average void period reported by member agents increased to just over three weeks in May 2025. We are seeing an average of 37% of housing transactions taking longer than 17 weeks to complete. The timescales are…
Read More