That Landlord Bl**dy Owes Me!
I was chatting with a letting agent the other day, when the subject of landlords came up. I always like to ask what winds letting agents up about landlords, and this agent brought up something a little left field that I wanted to share with you.
Her particular landlord had been with her for a few years. She manages five properties for him, earning her £6,200 a year in letting fees (plus all the little extras of tenant fees etc). That’s great, why is he a pain? He had told her years ago that he had ten more properties in the same town, but they were managed with two other agents.
Whenever a property came on the market, she would do viewings at Stuppe’o’Clock to ensure the voids were at a minimum and always chase the rent down to ensure the arrears were non – existent .. she went the extra mile. This landlord was always polite and friendly, in fact for the last few years, he had invited her (and her significant other) to a business drinks reception/networking event at Christmas time at his firm (..and he hadn’t invited the other two agents!).
She said .. that Landlord Bl**dy Owes Me!
This agent was having trouble getting her landlord to change (who hasn’t been here?).. yet her language and her attitude deceive the fact that she believes that the landlord needs to help her. This, my blog reading friends, is where she went wrong. The landlord doesn’t need to help her; she needs to help them. She might want to understand why the landlord hasn’t brought all the properties to her to manage. .. but that’s not the point.
Those of you who know me know I always speak my mind when it comes to business generation. I suggested it would be easier to get the landlord to give her all his properties if she changed her point of view about where the problem lies.
A landlord couldn’t give two hoots if you do viewings at 8pm at night or 6.30am in the morning. Also, they couldn’t care less if you chased the rent down like a pack of hyenas on a wildebeest. Maybe she needs to understand the landlord might have put his eggs in one basket a few years before and got his fingers burnt when the agent went bust (but as she did ask ..she wouldn’t know).
But one thing is for certain … Whenever you believe your landlord is your problem, that belief is your problem. You can’t change people, but you can change your approach so that you can generate a different response. The sooner this letting agent changes her belief about where the problem lies, the sooner she can get the results she needs.
Maybe she needs to change her outlook. Maybe she should look at the business relationship. Maybe she should try building a better relationship with the landlord? Maybe she shouldn’t judge her relationship on this drinks party? Maybe she should just sit down with the landlord and ask him, what does she need to do, over the coming 18 months, to get all of his portfolio?
Maybe, as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean says, “The problem isn’t the problem .. the problem is your attitude to the problem”
Have a nice Easter break everyone.
Kindest
Christopher
PS The April course in ‘Getting More Landlords for Letting Agency’ is now full. However, the May course is on the 28th and 29th May 2015
PPS As always, if you want read similar articles like this, please visit my blog that helps letting agents get more landlords … www.landlordfarming.com
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