Although a good letting agent will of course expect to accompany prospective tenants who want to view your investment, and are trained to maximise the opportunity, there is a lot to be said for you being there too!

For example, a tenant who has met the landlord is much less likely to pay their rent late or default as there is some degree of social accountability! Likewise, if the tenant feels that the landlord really cares, then they are likely to treat your property with the respect it deserves. Issues can usually be resolved more easily when the parties feel they know each other. It’s also good to know who’s renting your property!

Transparency and confidence are key to good tenant relationships, and meeting the landlord is the first step. It gives both parties the opportunity to ask questions, rather than hearing everything second-hand via the agent – no matter how fastidious they are.

During the viewing, it’s best not to crowd the prospective tenant – give them space and if they are a couple, they might prefer to discuss your property out of earshot – let them! Likewise, don’t try to “sell” them the tenancy, or push for a decision. If it’s right for them, they’ll know, and it can be off-putting to be pressurised, no matter how well- meaning. We suggest you leave the viewing to the trained agent, but be on hand if required! Currently, we are doing online viewings and have been practicing social distancing measures regarding in-person viewings. This means one household per viewing as opposed to a crowd or group of viewings.

Remember this is also a numbers’ game…most viewings do not result in a tenancy. Our job is to ensure that enough tenants see your property so that we can then select the best one for you. It is not unknown for us to advise a landlord to decline a tenant if we have any doubts about them.

If you’d like to take advantage of our specialist tenant viewing service as a way of maximising your yield, please feel free to contact us on 0208 359 3399. We’d love to hear from you and have tenants waiting too!

© Copyright 2020 Richard Rawlings except as excluded under licence.