Choosing the Right Agency

Property management can be a very stressful and time consuming job, especially for a first time landlord. Demanding tenants, problems with rent collection etc. all contribute to a worrisome task. This is where the beauty of a letting and property management agency shines through. They become the first point of contact for any queries and all you, the landlord have to do is watch the rent go into your account each month. Choosing the right agency that will do what you need for a decent price can be tricky, but a bit of shopping around and keeping the following points in mind will help you find the most suitable agency.

Are they registered with National Property Regulatory Services Authority?
Do they manage other properties similar to yours?
How many properties do they already have on their books?
Which agent will be dealing with your property?
How do they vet potential tenants?
How much is the fee and exactly what does it include? (let only, let and manage, rent collection)
How is the fee collected and how long will it take to reach your account?
If they manage the property, who do they use for maintenance and repairs?
How often will they inspect the property?

 

At Dublin Letting and our sister company Meath Letting we have a dedicated number of agents who have many years of experience in the letting and management area. Our agents are our biggest asset. I am not an agent myself, so this is not a case of an agent blowing his or her horn so to speak but I can clearly see the professionalism and diligence these agents bring to their job, along with a valuable personal touch.  No matter which agent your property is assigned to, you will receive a high quality service. Before this blog becomes a sales pitch, I shall just direct you towards the Services Page on our website and you can see for yourself the answers to the above questions and if the answer is not there, our contact details also on the website.

 

I must turn to an interesting feature which distinguishes us from other agencies. Two of our property managers have developed some software that removes the headaches that can surround managing rents. The software, Rentview , has been tested for the past year and has been proven to reduce defaulting payments, make it easier for both landlords and tenants to monitor and check payments with online access to schedules, receipts etc., identify late payments, automatically send rent reminders, and generate rent arrears notices and much more.

 

One final note: before you start looking for an agency make sure you’re clear on exactly what you want. There is no point in comparing agencies when you don’t know what you should be looking out for. If you are unclear, talk to others who have experience with letting and property management agencies or go online and check out a few forums. Both are very handy for finding out the general opinion on matters and answers to specific questions. Good luck and I hope to see you in our office soon!