We understand it’s overwhelming for landlords choosing an Edinburgh property management company, with such a large number of companies to choose from. Here’s 5 steps to help you choose the right property management company for you.
- Find out what customers REALLY think – Check on Google and rating websites like Allagents to see what customers really think of the service provided by property management companies. It’s also worth checking how the agent has responded to good and bad reviews – this will give you a taste of what it might be like working with them!
- Check that they’re experienced – look into the history of each property management company you find to make sure they have plenty experience. Traditionally it was fairly easy for property management companies to open up, so companies could market their services to manage properties with limited experience. Things have been tightened up with Letting Agent Registration however, with this only being in place since December 2017 (with agents having until October 2018 to get registered) this still means some agents out there could only have a couple of years experience and may be missing the necessary property management battle scars! (According to ARLA Propertymark’s May newsletter, 562 Scottish agents are now registered with the Scottish Government).
- Make sure you’ll get on – choose an Edinburgh property management company that you think will be a good match for you. You’ll be trusting this company with a valuable asset and so you’ll no doubt want to have a positive working relationship with them and to make sure you’re on the same wavelength. Choose an agent that holds similar values and has a similar outlook to you. You can do this by digging deeper on their website to find out what they really stand for and pick up the phone to make sure you ‘click’ before signing
- Check their fees – you’ll want an Edinburgh property management company that is transparent with their pricing. BEWARE agents who have ‘hidden fees’ on top of the published fees, or the fees initially quoted to you. Some agents may have additional fees in their terms and conditions – EVEN those who shout about having ‘no hidden fees’ may well have some unexpected charges buried away in their terms and conditions).
- Communicate clearly what to do next – It can get quite confusing knowing what you need to do, and when,, to get your property onto the rental market. It’s important to choose a property management company that makes the process as streamlined and straightforward as possible. Look for an agent who clearly defines a path forward for you to instruct them as your agent. If the process seems confusing then alarm bells should be ringing!
Umega Lettings is an award-winning Edinburgh property management company. We take an innovative customer-service led approach to property management and we are smashing the stereotypes in the lettings sector so that landlords have peace of mind that their property and their tenants are being taken care of. Our team of 40 passionate people manage c 1,150 properties from our state of the art office at Quartermile.
For a free valuation of your property click on the banner below or if you’d like to have a chat through your options please just give us a buzz or pop into our office for a coffee.