Stepping Stones are still happily sitting at number one in the Rightmove rankings for the North Oxfordshire area. Rightmove rank all of their agents on four levels, Available Stock, New Instructions, Let Agreed and Property Views.

Once again we have been ranked number one across the board showing that we are the most popular agency in the area. We have always tried to offer a simple service and have always specialised in residential lettings which means that we can offer a complete in house service. Landlords and tenants alike have always liked this simple, no nonsense approach which allows them to have a single point of contact, whatever the problem.

The lettings industry is still unregulated and as such there are an awful lot of poor quality letting agents out there. As a landlord it is very difficult for you to tell who is good and who isn’t!

Here are some pointers that you should be looking for when choosing an agent.

Are they members of ARLA or another regulated body? It is always best to find a company that has voluntarily joined a redress scheme as it shows that they are willing to be bound by their complaints procedure and that they have met certain levels of service standard. The main body for the lettings industry is ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents) and you can check on their website if the company is a member.
Are your monies protected? ALL agents should hold their deposit and rent monies in a specific client account and this should be protected with Client Money Protection Insurance. This means that if the company goes bankrupt or worse your monies are safe and protected. Ask to see their certificate or ask if they are a “SafeAgent”. This is an organisation that ensures that their members have such protection in place.
Are they qualified? I cannot stress enough how complex the lettings and management business is. There is a whole raft of legislation that needs to be navigated and all managers should be properly trained. Don’t forget that these people will be looking after what could be your most valuable investment. You would not trust an untrained lawyer so don’t trust an unqualified agent!
Who is managing your property? This is a really important one that most people forget when looking at agents. Most agents are very interested in letting the property as they see this as the money maker for them but then pass the boring day to day management to either another office or to the least experienced, youngest member of staff. You need to ensure that you know exactly who is doing what with your house and that they are dedicated to that job. You should have an experienced and trained property manager looking after your house who you can discuss all aspects of the management with.
Who does the accounts? Another big one. Do they have dedicated accounts staff who know exactly what is going on with your property? If they use a centralised accounts team they will not know the details of your tenants and rent collection will simply be a process and loses the human intelligence side which is so important.
Are they Landlords? Just as you would not trust a driving instructor who can’t drive you need a letting agent who has experience of being a landlord themselves. This means that they see the industry from both sides. Someone who is not a landlord can still be a good agent but to get the best you want someone at management level who has done it themselves!

Until the industry is fully regulated all agents are definitely not equal! I hope that these all make sense and this gives you some idea on what to look for when looking through your options.