High street letting agents - are they dying?

Are we seeing the death of the high street letting agent?

Online letting agents appear to be growing in their popularity. Does this mean we are seeing the final days of the traditional methods? Most say it is unlikely.

Not everyone is happy to have this kind of transaction take place online. Many are happier to deal with someone face to face. There exists a theory here as to why this is the case, and it basically boils down to trust and local expertise. Some believe this does not exist online.

What do you think? Do you feel the high street agent is having its final days? Or will they always be there?

Next time we will look at some of the advantages of online letting agents on comparison to the traditional route.

Please have a look at www.direct2landlord.co.uk to understand more about online letting agents and how they can help the private landlord.

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Best options for Landlords

Choosing the best option for Landlords - Part I

Here at Direct2Landlord, we are often asked for our advice, knowledge and experience. We have put this together to benefit any that it may apply to. Hope you enjoy - Part II will follow shortly.

A Landlord has decided they need Letting agents for their property/properties. The questions arise, what next? Who should I choose?

The preferred method for making this kind of decision, is usually basing your choice on 'word of mouth'. A trusted recommendation is always a good starting point for Landlords. If you have not had anyone recommended to you, you have to look at the next best thing - a 'beauty parade' of your available options.

This is where a Landlord will pick a few they like the look of and then meet with these Letting Agents, most probably for the initial rental assessment to take place.

The Landlord will then be faced with the decision - who fits the bill? Please note, at this point, the Landlords decision should be based on a mixture of; the letting fees, the levels of service from the letting agent, how the Landlord perceives their working relationship potential, and finally, it will probably be down to how much you, as the Landlord, like them.

As the Landlord you should try to put yourself in your prospective tenants shoes.  Where will your tenant be looking for their next home? What age are they? Are they Internet savvy? Or are they the type that 'walk into the offices of the Letting Agents', as tradition used to be.

The value of the house should also have a bearing on where you place it. If this is a low cost per month rental option, you may not want to choose an upmarket Letting Agent.

If they cater for a wider audience, you may well consider them.

The rental assessment will give you, as the Landlord, an idea of the rental value. This can be useful for novice Landlords who may not be familiar with the Lettings market, or even for a Landlord who does not live in that area, and therefore does not know the local market.

For those with experience, they will know what rent they can achieve, and therefore the rental assessment will have little or no value to them.

Shortly, we shall release part II - here we will look at Marketing the property, Tenant viewings, Cost comparisons, Time frame, DIY management, best advice, management and other options.

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