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As house hunters, we expect agencies to bend over backwards to find us a house. Sadly we are disillusioned. In most cases we have to bend over backwards for them.
It is rare that a letting agent will run a mailing list so you will need to keep calling them rather than the other way round. However being “professional” in your approach to them will increase your chances of them helping you out. The following sets out what you can do to help them help you.
Be Specific
Imagine you are a letting agency and you know the following about these two house hunters.
House Hunter 1
- Rent Range - £400 - £1200 per month
- Number of Rooms Required - 2,3,4,5, or 6
- Looking in Greater London and East Sussex
House Hunter 2
- Rent Range - £1000 - £1200 per month
- Number of Rooms Required - 3
- Looking in Bow
Which house hunter would you want to help? To an agent it is obvious that house hunter 2 has put thought into what he or she is looking for. I would therefore assume that house hunter 2 is likely to commit to a contract in the near future. End result - house hunter 2 will be more likely to get help
Be realistic
So you want a twenty five bedroomed farmhouse in central Edinburgh for £25 a week. I have picked an extreme example to illustrate a point. Unfortunately it takes far less extreme requirements to get an agent thinking you are a time waster. Before approaching letting agents, demonstrate your commitment to finding somewhere by doing a little bit of research to establish what is available. In particular establish the following:
- Rent - what prices are typical, can you get what you think you want at the price you want.
- Type of Property - Do the agents actually deal with your type of property? E.g. Only the minority are interested in letting out rooms within houses.
- Specifics - If you desperately need a city centre bungalow, you may have to be more flexible on other issues. Make sure you explain to the agents what you can and cannot be flexible on.
- Length of Tenancy - most agents will expect you to sign a contract binding you for at least six months. Specifying a time shorter than this will significantly reduce the response you get. Also find out if the market expects you to take a house over the summer, even if you are not going to be there.
Apply at the Right Time
Although it varies from area to area, agents are much more likely to be interested in you if you are looking to move in soon. We tend to find that anybody looking more than 2 months ahead of their intended moving in date does not get a good response from agents.
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