Customer experience advice for letting agents

"Our agency has been in Cambridge for over 100 years and so has a strong
understanding of the market - and how it's changed over the years," says Alex Bloxham, Partner and Head of Residential Lettings at Bidwells. "It's important that we know what's current and topical and plan ahead."

"It's better to get a good tenant than any tenant," says Abi Friar, Portfolio Manager at the Nottinghamshire-based Buttercross Estates. "We ask everybody to apply with no obligation to pay a penny until the landlord actually says, yes, we would like to reference you."

"What I'm learning through valuations and through general meetings with clients is that some of the basic principles are not understood," says Mahul Shah, Director at Silwoods Estate and Letting Agents. "Clients often ask 'what is the evaluation process? What is the process from taking on a client all the way through to the moving-in stage?' There's quite a bit involved in that entire process."

"Our referencing model is a bit different to other agents. We spend a lot of time pre-vetting people," says Ryan Melles, Owner of The Property Shop Yorkshire, an agency focused solely on lettings and property management in Bridlington on the East coast of Yorkshire.

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.

"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."

"We're always looking for new, innovative ways to stay ahead of the market," says Dawn Clarke, Lettings Director at Nock Deighton. "The main reason for our success is never standing still." Being on the lookout for new opportunities led the agency to realise a lack of investor-specific information for the large pool of property investors in Shropshire - and it reacted quickly to give the market what it wanted.

"Our city centre branch deals with 90% apartments, but the Edgbaston area is an eclectic range of properties, including larger houses," says Andy McHugo, Associate Director at Birmingham-based estate and letting agency, James Laurence. "The professionals want to be close to work, while those on the outskirts want to be closer to the QE Hospital and other facilities."

Referencing can help flag many of the potential risks in renting a property to a new tenant, by delving into your tenants' background and circumstances. You can then make a decision on behalf of your landlord, or present them with your recommendations. You'll need to understand where your landlord may be willing to compromise and where you can help them manage risk, to make sure there's no ambiguity when you give the green light for a new tenant. You can also download a free checklist to help your tenants prepare for the referencing process and ensure they have the right information to hand.

"Bath is a really desirable place to live and there's been an influx of people moving from the city to the South West," says Beth Perry, Operations Director at Zest Sales and Lettings. "We would love to have double the amount of properties available because we feel like there are enough tenants registered with us. Properties are letting within hours instead of days."