Letting Agencies

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
klockstone
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 4:27 pm
Location: Slapton, Devon
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Letting Agencies

Post by klockstone »

I'm on my 3rd agency and would like to hear other's thoughts on this topic:

An agency has 2 groups of customers - those who rent and the owners. Most agencies go with 'the customer is always right' as far as the renter is concerned. However, when it comes to owners - the owners usually get the blame for problems.

In any relationship, you can only really judge the other party by the way they behave when things go wrong. My experience and that of others seems to show that letting agencies fail miserably in this respect - and the bigger they are, the worse it is.

Keith.
Keith
www.larches-cottage.co.uk

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
GillianF
Posts: 826
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:06 pm
Location: Dordogne

Post by GillianF »

We've never let anyone manage, advertise or let our properties on our behalf. We've always taken the view that no-one has such a vested interest in doing a good job and getting it right as we do.

I've never heard anything about a letting agency that has persuaded me to do otherwise than do it ourselves.

In the 22 years we've been letting two guests have written to the advertising site to complain. The complaint was passed to us and we responded. In both cases that was the end of the matter - the 'agency' just acted as a liaison and, at the end of the day, I'm sure they understood that we were the party paying their wages.
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charles cawley
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:53 pm
Location: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Borders

Post by charles cawley »

We run country holiday lets in one of the lowest areas for rent in the UK in a brutally competitive area.

The basic principle applies. Respect your largest customers and source of income the most. In the case of holiday letting owners not only contribute the most but provide, in effect, the stock.

Of course fully attention to guests should be given but it is a catastrophic error to under value owners. Without them there would be no business for agencies as much as without guests the same thing would apply.

A sound relationship between agents and owners is absolutely essential.
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Advice about holiday letting
Bunny
Posts: 3387
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

charles cawley wrote: The basic principle applies. Respect your largest customers and source of income the most. In the case of holiday letting owners not only contribute the most but provide, in effect, the stock.

Of course fully attention to guests should be given but it is a catastrophic error to under value owners. Without them there would be no business for agencies as much as without guests the same thing would apply.
Sounds like you could certainly teach the major listing sites a thing or too Charles. If only they shared your view. Have you ever considered a major takeover bid? :D
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