’If I were a landlord, why should I use your lettings agency?'

One of things I always ask letting agents is, ’If I were a landlord, why should I use your lettings agency?’. I work with a over seventy letting agents, both independent and franchised, although quite strangely, no corporate’s. Let’s be honest, all franchised agents are just independents, trading under the same brand name, with some fringe benefits, but to all intense and purposes, they are agents, just like independents who own and run their own firm.

When it’s your own firm, you go the extra mile, because its yours. You care because its yours, and that should rub off on to the staff. But what if you are an independent or franchise, and you have multiple offices, are your staff as good as you, because you can't be in to two (or three or more offices) at once? Also, if you are just a one office operation, what is happening when you are out of the office?.. do the staff care enough when you aren’t there?

Of course, the thing that makes your lettings agency is you, as you are at heart of your lettings agency. Everybody knows you, but what happens when you aren’t working, at another office or on holiday?

This was the question that kept coming up over and over as I mystery shopped the local lettings agencies. You see I learnt several lessons doing that mystery shopping, which now have become even clearer now I am this bloke who knows a bit about growing lettings agencies income/ managed stock. It has became clear in how nearly identical businesses differentiate themselves, what actually matters to clients (landlords), and why some lettings agencies do well while others not so. You see it it’s not all about you Mr(s) letting agent, its about you AND your staff.

I have had to visit a landlord referencing agency three times over the last 5 months. On my third visit, I managed to meet the boss lady (she had been out of the office both other times). Every visit was awesome, her 20+ colleagues made me and my delegates feel brilliant (one instance they made cup cakes for US!). I won’t embarrass the boss lady by mentioning her name, but her colleagues really do go the extra 10 miles, not 1 mile. They genuinely care about the clients, visitors and their boss..

I know if you met them, you would instantaneously swap your landlord referencing to them.. Yes their product is good, very good indeed, but all of her colleagues CAN win on personality, even if they sell the same thing as 20+ other landlord referencing agencies.

That got me thinking about my clients, and to be honest, the ones that have picked up and ran with this ‘landlord farming technique’ the best, are not the business owner, but their right hand man or woman. They are even more passionate about the system than the owners. Which proves a pretty consistent truth …  people will buy a product or service from the person they like the best.