How to choose a letting agent
The agent you choose can influence your rent level, void periods, compliance risk and day-to-day stress. Yet many landlords still pick the first person who returns a call or offers the lowest percentage.
This guide gives you a practical checklist for comparing agents, covering what to look for beyond the fee and the questions to ask during valuations.
Clarify your priorities
Before you compare agents, it helps to be honest about what matters most to you.
- Maximising rent vs keeping voids low
- Minimising hassle vs staying closely involved
- Target tenant type – students, professionals, families, corporate lets and so on
Key things to check
- Local knowledge and recent comparable lets
- Membership of professional bodies and redress schemes
- Experience with your property type or tenant profile
- Systems for rent collection, maintenance and inspections
Questions to ask during valuations
Valuations are as much about you assessing the agent as the agent assessing the property. Useful questions include:
- How would you market my property and which portals do you use?
- What rent would you aim for and what evidence supports that figure?
- What are your average void periods for similar properties in this area?
- How do you handle maintenance, and who authorises works at different price levels?
- How and how often will you communicate with me once the property is let?
Understanding their fee structure
Two agents quoting “12% management” may not be offering the same thing. Make sure you understand:
- Exactly what’s included in the headline fee at each service level
- Which services attract additional charges and how much they are
- Minimum contract length and any exit or renewal fees
- How fees change at renewal or if the rent increases
Red flags to watch for
Fee level is important, but how an agent behaves during the first meeting often tells you more about the relationship you’ll have later.
- Vague or evasive answers when you ask what’s included in the fee
- Over-optimistic rent suggestions with little evidence or local data
- High-pressure tactics to sign quickly or commit on the spot
- Reluctance to put key points in writing
Using LetCompare as part of your selection
LetCompare helps you benchmark fee levels before you start booking valuations. By seeing typical fees for your area, you can quickly spot quotes that are unusually high or low.
From there, you can focus meetings on value, service and fit rather than just headline percentages.
Compare letting agent fees in my area