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You love your home, but you’ve also realised that you need somewhere new. Perhaps somewhere larger, with a bigger garden or closer to the countryside. Using a letting agent to rent your home may allow your own home move to happen quickly.

Where to begin

There’s no better time to move than the New Year because it’s a time often linked with new beginnings.

You may decide renting your home is a quick and easy way to accomplish your own move quickly, but how do you find the best Letting agent in Consett and what questions should you ask?

As property experts in the Consett, Co Durham area, PIIM Property provide our tips so that you can choose the best letting agent for you.

Phone a Friend

Friends and family can point you in the right direction and steer you away from the agents to avoid. Ask them about their experience with a particular property manager or letting agency. Enquire about how communicative, knowledgeable and friendly the agent was. Did the Property Manager get the job done – and without causing stress?

Tip: Social media is your friend! Check out local letting agents’ profiles to discover more about their local area knowledge and understand how they interact with the local community.

Read online reviews

Check out Facebook reviews and Google reviews on letting agents in your area. This will give you an insight into other customers experiences.

Tip: Always have an open mind when reading reviews, whilst most will be genuine, some negative ones (and some positive ones) may not be.

Check the Letting Agency website

If you have a couple of shortlisted letting agents, check out their websites. Compare and contrast the services they offer and the fees they charge.

Tip: If you’re comparing and contrasting, write a wish list of your own requirements.

Understand the Terms and Conditions and Fee structure

Not all letting agents and property managers are the same. Each will offer a slightly different service, and will have a different way of operating. You have high street offices, internet-based offices, and hybrid agencies that blend traditional with the internet. Each has its advantages and disadvantages so always check the small print and look at the overall service.

Tip: Do some research and decide whether you want a sole agency agreement, or if you want multiple agents to market your property. It’s important to read your contractual obligations.

Review the agent’s performance

Remember, your new Letting agent will be working for you to get your house marketed and finding the right tenant, but it’s actually a two-way thing and you will need to do what you can to help them do their job too. Your Property Manager should be prepared to communicate with you if they think things should change, like a review of the price for example. You should feel confident enough to ask about performance.

Tip: Have a clear understanding of your expectations. Is it the number of people shown your property, or is it the number of hits on property websites? Is it about proactive calls made to prospective tenants, or is it to find a tenant within a certain timeframe?

Shortlist the property agents

Do they have any experience renting homes similar to your property?

Can they talk with good knowledge of the local area?

How accurate are their valuations?

You need to know that your agent knows what they are doing, and can convey that to a prospective tenant.

Trust your gut instinct

There’s a lot to be said for getting a feel for whether you have picked the right agent to market your property.

Tip: You may know immediately that the agent is for you so trust your gut instinct, however, you should still carry out the checks and reviews before signing up.

What can PIIM Property offer?

PIIM Property use Google for reviews.

For no-obligation advice on switching your letting agent in Consett, Co Durham, please contact our expert property team at PIIM Property here.

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