Letting Agency - Landlords and tennants views ?

[raspberryroop]

I am in the process if setting up a lettings agency and want to make it as far away for the stereotypical agency as possible .

Could any Landlords or tenant who have had dealings with 'good' agencies tell me why they were good and anything they did that made them standout for you?
Or are there any services you would like your agency to offer?

I don't mind negative experiences as well - I know a lot of what I would like to avoid, but I'm sure there are lots of crap things some agents do I've not yet heard about.

well, having dealt with two agencies...

they were good at finding the right tenants, referencing them and also telling me not to take on the wrong ones. When the market was strong they also did well with the 'beauty contest', managing bids between tenants.

what they weren't so good at was doing the basic admin that a monkey can do. I was on to the MD of the first one within three weeks because no-one would return emails, and I was 12 time zones away so it was impossible to phone in office hours. So: work as a team, don't give me 'your email wasn't answered because that person only works two half days a week'.

If you tell me you can renew the house insurance, do it. Don't leave me frantically calling the insurers because despite repeated reminders and promises, you didn't do it. (would never trust an agency with this again)

Also: if you are going to do inspections as part of the contract, bloody do them. I don't expect to have to remind you, then be given paltry compensation because you couldn't be arsed.

oh, and get a checkout clerk who actually spots damage.

both ARLA members and big companies, BTW.

Thanks - crap admin seams a to be a recurring theme !!