It’s no longer enough to sit and wait for landlords and tenants to come rushing through the door to be a successful letting agent in today’s market. Agents must be proactive in keeping up with the newest legislation, demographic, and industry trends, as well as doing everything they can to effectively advertise themselves.

In this article, we delve into some of the ways that can help you stand out as a letting agent in today’s competitive market. We’re confident you’ll find some helpful hints that you can implement in your own lettings business. Let’s get right into it.

Good service

Wondering what exactly it means by saying “good service"? Well, it means treating your customers the same way you would treat your own family or close friends. Hopefully, you’re the kind of person who gets along with your family and has friends here.

Think about what too would normally do for your family and friends, something special. Chances are high that you usually go above and beyond for them, and that is what exceptional service is all about. When you go above and above for someone, you begin to establish a relationship, and once you have a relationship, you start to build trust, and once you have your client’s trust, you have them for life.

As a letting agent, giving good service to your customers has endless benefits. Firstly, it enables customers to trust your brand because of how you treat them. Also, you’re most likely to get even greater opportunities because of the reputation you’ve created for your business. Good services bring in customer recommendations. People will always recommend you as being the best in the area.

If you want to make significant progress in your business, you must put the consumer at the centre of everything you do and provide them with only the best services.

Customer reviews

Real estate marketing, like the ever-changing housing market, has evolved tremendously over time. People used to rely on newspaper ads, property books, or “For Sale” signs, however, today’s home buyers search the internet for available properties. And when they start their research, the first thing they check for is reviews.

Reviews help a customer decide on whether they want to shop with that business or not. And, because buying a home is one of the most significant financial investments, your clients will want to know that they can trust the real estate business you’re introducing them to.

So as a letting agent, you must pay attention to reviews before you expect customers to reach out. Find out what they are saying online, is it good or bad? Do you need to make improvements? Respond to reviews so that customers can trust your business.

Always remind satisfied customers to leave a review on your business page. Encourage them to write a lengthy, informative review as well.

Wondering where customers get reviews? Could they be looking at your Facebook page? Is your Google My Business listing on their radar? To ensure that more clients find you, you’ll want to have a lot of reviews for each directory and platform.

Marketing

For renting agents trying to attract the greatest landlords, an efficient marketing approach has never been more crucial. Setting targets and goals, planning how you’ll respond to anticipated difficulties and opportunities, and continuing to generate demand from new clients are all advantages of developing a successful marketing strategy. However, before creating a marketing strategy, you’ll need to do market research, figure out who your target audience is and which media outlets are ideal for reaching them, and create a brand identity. Find out who you may target besides your current customers. Also, identify your unique selling point. There must be something that differentiates you from the others, find what your competitors are doing that you’re not.

Retention strategies

If you want to grow your letting business, you must look after your most valuable asset: your customers. Unfortunately, most agents are preoccupied with lead creation but neglect customer retention. Of course, generating new leads is important, but keeping current customers should be your priority.

It’s pointless to waste time on customers who come onto your website, place an order, and then go without thinking about returning. Customers who are loyal to your services will always return; they are, without a doubt, your most valuable business asset. So how do you retain these customers?

Offering discounts to your customers is one of the best retention strategies. Making a VIP list for your returning clients and sending them VIP-only offers is one way to do this. Or maybe, send them a voucher on their birthday especially if they’ve been your customers, and include a voucher they in. Giving customers discounts not only motivates them to buy from you again, but it may also help to improve your brand.

Customer surveys will help you realise what’s working and what’s not. You’ll never be able to please every consumer on every issue, but surveys can help you spot patterns you might have overlooked. Offer a mix of multiple-choice and free-text answer areas to allow customers to express their thoughts.

Be active in your community. Customers are becoming more socially concerned, and you should be as well. They will want to see if you engage positively in the community i.e. do you always lend a helping hand? What do others know you by? Customers want to feel like they’re doing business with a real person that’s sincere and nice.

Be personal. Before contacting a consumer, learn how they prefer to be reached, what they’ve already purchased, and how past conversations with you went. Customers don’t want to be treated like a number, and having to repeat the same information over and again will irritate them. Strive to offer customers a personal experience and they’ll work with you.

Networking events

Events bring people together and provide opportunities to network, build relationships, promote your business, and learn about the most recent trends in the private leased sector.

Conclusion

There are different ways to stand out as a letting agent in today’s competitive market such as setting up retention strategies, marketing, attending to customer reviews, and providing good services. If you aren’t doing any of these you’re probably missing out on so much. Start now so that you stand out and have satisfied customers.

Do you have any advice for letting agents? Let us know and check back soon for more, and don’t forget to see how Homebox could unlock new opportunities for your lettings agency.