🧐 What do tenants looks for in a letting agent?
We expect the majority will agree it’s mainly about the property, and this is true, however your service and the processes you have in place will also have an impact on the tenant's decision or you holding onto a good applicant. If they don’t like you, they’ll walk away and fight you for their holding deposit!
So, what does a tenant want from their letting agent?
🏠 The property – ok, let’s get this one out of the way. If the tenant wants a property, they’ll likely take it. They look for location, safety and security, outdoor space, transport links and parking, storage space, appliances, condition, home office space, pet-friendly.
🤝 Trust – seems obvious, but the tenant is going to be paying you a significant amount of money each month, they need to be able to trust you. How you present yourself and treat them during your interactions will make a big difference. A ‘Del-boy’ type agent isn’t likely to instil trust in an applicant.
👮♀️ Protection – very closely linked to the point above, but protection is a consideration for the tenant. Not just their money, but their family. A compliant agent will look after them more, and be more considerate to their health and safety. A simple way to demonstrate this is being accredited.
🤓 Knowledge – with the average time spent in rental properties increasing, tenants are getting more savvy when it comes to legalities of renting. An agent who shows they have good knowledge will add to the two previous points, building the way they are perceived to the tenant.
📑 Ease of application – no one likes, or has time for, form filling! Although most agents use referencing companies for this, how many have actually considered what hoops the tenant has to jump through when deciding which company to use? Being asked questions by the agent, then the referencing company, and possibly by a third source (e.g utility switching company) will frustrate an applicant.
👍 Reviews – it came into consideration for landlords, and tenants are no different. Reviews on portals, and how both good and bad ones are handled in a public environment, certainly comes into the scope of decision making for tenants. No one wants to deal with the type of company who openly argues bad reviews!
📞 Communication – as with reviews, communication is another factor repeated in both landlord and tenant decisions. This is an important time for them, sometimes moving in with a new partner, possibly moving unexpectedly, or due to separation, this can make people anxious about what happens next. Good, frequent, communication is very important, even when all is completed and ready to go, a tenant will still worry about their move so maintain contact levels!
🔑 Handover – ok, so it’s likely to be a little late for them to change their mind at the point they’re collecting keys, but it’s a good way to finish on a high! Some agents like to give welcome gifts, others will meet a tenant at the property and walk them round. The main thing is to be ready for them! Ensure keys are there, counted and ready to go. It’s nice to have a card or something to welcome them to their new home, but nothing worse than someone scratching their head and searching for a set of keys!
As with all of our emails, there are plenty of things we’ve not included in this list, and we’ve not even started on what a tenant wants after they’ve move in!
How do you go the extra mile for your tenants?
If you’re interested in automating maintenance to free up time for your property managers and save money for your landlords, you can book a demo of the Help me Fix video triage service here.