Student lettings follow a different path to traditional lettings in the private rental sector, with a - normally predictable - seasonal ebb and flow in demand. Dafydd Hardy, Zest Sales & Lettings, and College & County share three ways that they've adapted their agencies' approaches to the student market.
Notice periods drop to four months from 1 June 2021 for landlords seeking to repossess their properties, with some exceptions, as the ban on evictions ends meaning bailiffs can reinforce possession warrants. The debt respite and furlough schemes will remain in place to ensure support is available for all parties as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Many estate and letting agencies had to move to a remote-working model during Covid-19. As offices open up, how can agencies learn from this experience to become even more productive? This extract from our latest e-book, How to maximise your agency's potential, has the answer.
Technology in lettings is becoming more of a necessity, but how can you pinpoint where to focus your efforts so you can offer your landlords and tenants a personalised customer service? Estate and letting agency Bonners & Babingtons has some tips.
Increasing rent arrears and a long backlog at the courts means mediation will become an increasingly important tool for letting agents, landlords, and tenants alike, says Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme.
England, Scotland, and Wales each enacted legislation during Covid-19 to protect landlords and tenants, much of which is soon coming to an end - including the stamp duty holiday, evictions ban, and six-month notice periods. Here are the key dates that estate and letting agents and landlords need to know to stay compliant.
Cyber crime is reportedly on the rise and letting agents need to be aware of what measures they can take to keep any personal or sensitive data that they hold as safe as possible. Extra processes and online solutions, such as open banking, can help to add an extra layer of security.
Lee Redfearn, Insurance Development Manager at Goodlord, shares how and why the insurance claims process has increased in recent times, plus some updates on the latest lettings legislation and how this is affecting the insurance landscape.
Is your agency ready to use agility to reach its potential? Here's an extract from our latest e-book, How to maximise your agency's potential, with the five trademarks that agile businesses display, as outlined by McKinsey.
Goodlord sets its sights on becoming UK’s biggest referencing business with a new five year partnership with General Insurance provider Paymentshield.
Recent months have been topsy-turvy for everyone, not least for students. The student lettings market, normally so predictable in its patterns, has been thrown off kilter. Here's how this has affected lettings agencies Dafydd Hardy, Zest Sales & Lettings, and College & County - and what they've learned about the student market.
Topics: Customer experience
After nearly 14 months of extended notice periods, the notice that landlords will have to give to their tenants will drop to four months from 1 June in England. This is the first step towards notice periods dropping to pre-pandemic standards, expected by 1 October 2021. The evictions ban in England also came to an end on 31 May, meaning that bailiffs can re-start the enforcement of possession warrants.
Topics: Compliance
"I think that our productivity has actually gone up," says Matthew Wilkinson on his agency's move to remote working. "If you are having to progress a deal or deal with a property management issue, there are fewer distractions without the office phone ringing all the time."
Topics: Business
"Technology in lettings processes will start to become a necessity, especially when you have such quick turnarounds, from offering a property to move in," says Robbie Hearn, Lettings Manager at Bonners & Babingtons. "Digital signing, for example, is going to be a must."
Topics: Customer experience
The current pandemic has been an unprecedented period in our country’s history and everyone has faced hardship and sacrifice in their daily lives and many face an uncertain future without security and in fear. Whilst every sector faces challenges, the private rented sector is one that is particularly vulnerable at the moment. The number of people who rely on renting privately is around 23% of the population - not just single people and students, but hardworking families up and down the country.
Topics: Business
Much of the new legislation relevant to the rental and property sector that was set out during the pandemic will end in the coming months. Here's a breakdown of the key legislative dates that estate and letting agents need to know in England, Scotland and Wales.
Topics: Compliance
The recent increase in UK cyber crime as businesses relied more heavily on digital solutions during the pandemic emphasises that letting and estate agents should be aware of how they can bolster their security systems, to make sure they keep their tenants' and landlords' information safe. Technologies such as open banking can play a part - so here's an open banking fact sheet for your tenants, to encourage them to opt in where relevant.
Topics: Business
This month, we're going to cover some stats from our Rental Index and take a mini deep-dive into how the Rent Protection landscape has changed quite dramatically in recent years, plus we've got a couple of big industry updates - all of which you can read or watch below.
Topics: Compliance
Creating an agile agency is all about taking a team-centred approach. You should trust your staff to work with autonomy towards a shared goal - normally a focus on bringing the right value to customers. Businesses that embrace this model introduce efficiencies across the board, which the Boston Consulting Group's research shows can mean a 25 to 35 percent reduction in costs, and an increase in customer satisfaction of 10 to 20 percent.
Topics: Business
General Insurance provider Paymentshield and referencing firm Goodlord have signed a partnership agreement for a further five years following a successful partnership which started in 2016.
Topics: Goodlord Group
