Being an estate agent in the UK is a lucrative profession. Apart from the monetary benefits, there are an array of ancillary advantages, such as flexibility, growth opportunities, and work-life balance, which make the job incredibly alluring for many people. However, the long list of merits of being an estate agent also has its fair share of burdens, the most pertinent of which is maintaining relationships with property owners.
Needless to say, the landlord and estate agent's relationship can be tricky. The former places the responsibility of their property on the shoulders of an estate agent, and that trust comes with a lot of complexity. As a letting agent who offers property management services, you must strike a balance between effectively managing any tenant issues or queries and keeping the landlord in the loop.
Are you stuck in a rut trying to strike the chord between your tenancy responsibilities and efforts to mingle with the property owners? If yes, then read ahead!
Know When to Talk with the Landlord and When to Stop– Private owners of managed properties do not want to be bothered with the running of rentals, which is precisely why they hired you! Proprietors are, firstly, your clients, and hence, it is essential that you take care of their content. As a letting agent and a point of contact, it is your foremost duty to communicate with the landlord about any queries or maintenance issues the tenant might have. In addition, the key is knowing when you should talk to the property owners and why they should be left alone. In such a context, soft skills and deducing abilities become imperative and life-saving, in all honesty.
Create Trust – In case you are keen to know how to deal with a real estate agent, trust is the crucial element to usher in. Open and transparent communication is the best way to create a trusting relationship. If an issue has been irking you, do not wait it out. Instead, ensure that you are addressing it and communicating it to the landlord. Likewise, your persona and work approach should be such that the landlord finds it easy to express their reservations. Moreover, remember that no property owner is the same. Therefore, you must figure out the mode of communication and the time they prefer to talk and use them effectively to create a healthy relationship.
Use Property Management Software – Technology can play a pivotal role in how the landlord and estate agent's relationship pans out. Customer Relationship Software Solutions (CRM) are one of the best tools you have as an estate agent. They enable you to communicate effectively with property owners, handle queries from tenants, and automate emails and other channels of communication. For instance, you can opt for property management tools like Arthur, AXIA, SME Professional, and so forth. The strategic usage of high-tech CRM tools can foster positive relationships between letting agents and landlords via effective communications and improved workflows.
Focus on Relationship Building – If you have a lot of properties under you, then maintaining stable and balanced relationships with the property owners can be trickier. One of the biggest challenges letting agents face when trying to maintain client relationships is their preoccupation with admin work. Smaller companies or self-employed estate agents often have a dearth of staff. Therefore, those tasked with maintaining client relationships also have to handle the mountain of administrative work. Such a scenario can be counterproductive and weaken your relationship with your clients. Therefore, you have to find a way to automate the mundane tasks so that there is enough to invest in improving your relationships with the landlords.
Keep the Tenants Happy – The last recommendation in our list may seem absurd, but trust us when we say that happy tenants equal happy landlords. Any property owner would be displeased to see an empty house. As a letting agent, you must make sure that each letting is consistently filled with appropriate tenants. A win for you means a win for the landlord, and vice-versa. It would be efficacious to ensure that the right tenant is matched to the right property so that the tenant-landlord relationship is optimal. However, another element of the entire scenario is to make sure that the property owner’s rentals are occupied long-term by happy tenants. Satisfied and happy tenants who pay rent on time and keep the property kempt is an excellent mechanism to keep the worries and wry of the landlords at bay. Such a smooth timeline means you do not have to stress about handling murky situations repeatedly.
So, there we have it, a crisp summary of the top five tips on how to deal with real estate agents in the UK. It would help if you also remembered that maintenance management is another pertinent dimension of the landlord and estate agent dynamics. If the property owners realise that you are not taking due care of their property, it can irrevocably damage the relationship.
WRAPPING IT UP
In a nutshell, the skills you need to become a pro estate agent are the ones that will help you nurture good relationships with the property owners. One real estate agent in the UK that has aced the landlord and real estate agent dynamic is TRPE. The company’s forty-year-long experience in London properties is a testament to its profound and effective client management strategies! The clear and transparent communication ethos of TRPE, coupled with competitive pricing and the ability to adapt to changing times, have helped them stand out among the rest.
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