How Letting Agents Can Find Private Landlords and Recruit Them

TV property presenter Phil Spencer has told letting agents to go “on the offensive” to recruit the 49% of landlords who do not use an agent for their properties. The Location, Location, Location star cited the sheer weight of legislation as a reason for landlords not to try and go it alone, and that letting agents needed to find private landlords and guide them through the choppy legal waters of the rental sector.

Spencer said that he understood why so many landlords would choose to go it alone, considering the need for all sectors of society to cut budgets in the cost of living crisis. However, he stated that for amateur landlords it could prove impossible to stay up-to-date with the 168 pieces of legislation, as well as additional council regulations and the forthcoming Renters’ Reform Bill. He referred to it as a “recipe for disaster.”

With this in mind, how can letting agents find private tenants and persuade them that letting through as agent is an essential route forward for managing their investment? This article explores some tactics you can use to recruit this large pool of solo landlords.

Find Private Landlords and Recruit Them

Write informative blogs and articles

Get the word out there about how much work is involved in being a landlord and how much more is yet to come. Some of these property owners will be accidental landlords, having to rent out their home whilst they work elsewhere, and others investors who might not have looked through the full detail of their obligations.

As they progress in their landlord journey, they will have multiple questions, and that is your opportunity to show that you have the answers. Create a blog for your company website with content addressing common landlord questions and adding a link to get in contact if readers want to discuss the points further.

You can also approach the newspapers in your local area to see if they would like you to write a column in their property section about the legalities of renting properties. As long as you keep the tone authoritative and not sales-based, they could print it and get your company’s name out there. This helps you find private landlords looking for help.

Run property webinars

Another way to find private landlord is through hosting webinars. Webinars are an important tool across many sectors for installing yourself as an authority, and the property industry is no different. The great thing about a webinar is that they spread your message as far as possible to interested parties.

Rather than having to take time to travel to an event, landlords just need to watch the webinar from their desk. They can also watch on demand later if they are not free during the time of the live webinar.

Advertise what you are going to talk about and promote it on social media so that any landlords looking for insight on that area will tune in.

Promote the work you do

If private landlords have considered an agent before but decided against using one, it could be that they weren’t informed of everything that the agent would do for them. Make sure you create a pack for prospective landlords that details all of the obligations on them, those that are likely to apply soon and what you do to ensure they comply with the law.

When they see all of the requirements in black and white, it can hit home exactly what a complicated process renting out property is. This helps you find private landlords who understand the value that a letting agent brings.

Provide a Facebook or Whatsapp group

Hosting a Facebook or Whatsapp group for local landlords helps you to support them and show them how committed you are to steering them on the right path. This can be further evidence that you share with prospective clients of the value you provide them when they sign up to rent their property to tenants through your business.

Outsource property management

When you find private landlords, you then need to show them how you superserve them. By outsourcing your property management to Executive Property Management Solutions, you show that your tenants will receive a professional and dedicated service from onboarding to maintenance and beyond.

Happy tenants means fewer void periods and longer rentals. This is great news for a landlord and helps them understand why they should use a letting agent.

Contact us today to talk about how we can offer you a game-changing property management service that helps you find private landlords and recruit them to your business.