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Thu 21 April 2022
Would you have thought that having a sense of humour was a key skill to working in the property lettings industry? Our Market Harborough lettings team tell us why, in our most recent ‘a day in the life of’…
How many members of staff form the Market Harborough lettings team?
We have seven main members of the team, assistance from Carol and Jane in accounts, and additional help with viewings.
Collectively how many years’ experience in the industry do you have as a team?
Believe it or not, almost 100 years to date!
How does your day start?
We have a 30-minute period each morning before we open the phone lines which is great for grabbing a cuppa, catching up as a team, going through emails, prioritising, and getting set up for the day without interruption.
What can a typical day involve for you all?
It’s safe to say that no two days are the same! We have enquiries to answer, property valuations to conduct, viewings to arrange and attend, applications to process, final inspections on vacated properties - which can be good and easy or long and dirty, six-monthly inspections to complete and report to landlords, and maintenance contractors to instruct. You never know what that next phone call could bring, a massive leak, non-working boilers, break ins…anything really.
With 100’s of managed properties to look after the maintenance team deal with the constant variable issues raised by tenants or from inspections. Just as an indication of this, there were 120 issues in the 4-week period leading up to Christmas Eve last year.
What key skills do you think are important for a letting agent to have?
A sense of humour is vital! Aside from this, being computer literate, having an attention to detail, an ability to multi-task, a good memory, common sense, patience, being able to empathise and manage stressful situations, and not take frustration from the landlords or tenants personally – being the middleman can be hard sometimes. Oh, and being able to make a good cuppa!
What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of the job?
Definitely trying to help tenants with emergency maintenance issues when you’re in the hands of contractors and their already busy work schedules. Also, keeping on top of the constantly changing legislation, as we work very hard to ensure our managed properties always comply with legal developments. Other than that, ensuring that the staff, landlords and tenants are happy!
What do you enjoy about working within the lettings industry?
It’s never boring, that’s for sure. We feel lucky to work as part of a great team that support each other. We particularly enjoy building relationships with our clients, matching people with the home they want, and getting to see lots of lovely properties.
Tell us something we wouldn’t necessarily know about working as a letting agent?
How much legislation there is for each new let, we have a 30-point tick box for every let we complete.
Funniest story of 2021?
There are a few, but the award must go to Chris who on his final viewing on Christmas Eve went to leave the property only to discover the lock had jammed and that he needed to climb out of the window to open the door and release the couple viewing otherwise it would have been a cold, turkey free Christmas for all. The only blessing was that it was a particularly nice property to be stuck in for a while!
Who makes the best cup of tea in the team?
This was a close call, but Chris’ tea seems popular!
Who in the team makes you laugh the most?
Without a doubt Stacey provides the most laughs. Thank you, Stacey!
If you have a property that you’d like to let out or are considering letting a property and would like some advice on the subject, our experienced and knowledgeable lettings team based in Market Harborough would be very happy to help. Andrew Granger & Co also offer lettings services from our offices in Leicester and Loughborough, and you can get in touch and find out more at www.andrewgranger.co.uk
