Paying a Letting Agent but Still Doing the Chasing?

Using a letting agent should make being a landlord easier.

That sounds obvious, but it isn’t always how it feels.

If you’re regularly chasing for updates, wondering whether something has been dealt with or finding yourself following up jobs you thought your agent was handling, you may start to question what you’re actually paying for.

A good letting service shouldn’t simply take tasks away from you.

It should give you confidence that those tasks are being dealt with.

Communication matters more than you might think

Not every problem can be solved immediately.

Sometimes you’re waiting for a contractor. Sometimes a tenant hasn’t responded. Sometimes somebody else needs to provide an answer before anything can move forward.

But that doesn’t mean the landlord should hear nothing.

There’s a big difference between:

“We’re still waiting for an answer and we’ll update you as soon as we have one.”

and silence.

As Lisa Bailey of Personal Economy Lettings explains:

“Landlords don’t expect every problem to be solved instantly. They do expect to know what’s happening. Even an update to say we’re still waiting is better than leaving somebody wondering whether anything is being done.”

That simple approach can make an enormous difference to the landlord experience.

You shouldn’t have to manage your managing agent

One of the main reasons landlords appoint an agent is to free up some of their time.

So if you still find yourself checking whether rent has arrived, chasing contractors, following up repairs or repeatedly asking for progress updates, the arrangement may not be giving you the support you expected.

The point isn’t that a landlord should be excluded from what is happening.

Quite the opposite.

You should remain informed without needing to drive every task forward yourself.

What should good management feel like?

For us, it comes down to a few fairly simple things.

You should know who you’re dealing with.

You should be able to get an answer when you need one.

You should be kept informed when something changes.

And where something cannot be resolved immediately, you should know that it hasn’t been forgotten.

Good property management should reduce uncertainty, not create more of it.

Not every landlord needs the same level of service

Some landlords genuinely enjoy managing their own properties.

Others want everything handled for them.

And there are plenty who sit somewhere in between.

That’s one of the reasons we developed our Lettings PA services.

They give landlords practical support around areas such as rent monitoring, compliance and tenancy administration while allowing them to retain control of their property and tenant relationship.

For landlords who prefer to step back further, we also offer full property management.

The important thing is finding the level of support that actually works for you.

If your current arrangement no longer feels right

Changing agent can feel like a bigger decision than it really needs to be.

You don’t have to wait until something goes badly wrong before considering whether there might be a better fit.

Sometimes it simply comes down to wanting better communication, a more personal relationship or clearer support.

If you’re currently using an agent but find yourself doing more chasing than you expected, we’re always happy to have a straightforward conversation about how your property is being managed and what alternatives are available.

No pressure. No hard sell.

Just a chance to see whether there might be a better way.

Personal Economy Lettings

0117 9856703
personaleconomylettings.co.uk

Helping landlords stay confidently in control.