RealEstateSalebyOwner blog contains various information about real estate advices & tips, commercial real estate, general real estate, property investment, property law, property services.


Finding the right property management services for landlords. Services a good letting agency should offer.

For the private landlord, managing a property can be a busy and demanding job. Advertising the property, arranging viewings, organising the necessary agreements, carrying out inspections, and maintenance all takes time and that’s not even including finding the right tenant that you can trust to treat the your property with respect. And with many landlords also working another part or full time job, managing a property can become a full time job in itself. It is for this reason that many landlords with a flat to let choose to use a letting agency to manage their property. They take the weight off the landlord and take responsibility for the management and letting of the property.

In any area of Britain you will find several letting agents of varying sizes offering what appears to be similar services. The reality of this is that like most service providers there are some who agents simply stand above the rest in terms of quality service, cost, value for money and how efficiently they manage your property. Using a letting agency can be truly rewarding for a landlord if you choose the right one. Here are some good pointers and services to look for in choosing the correct letting agency for the management of your property:

Letting Services When you have a property to let, the level of customer service offered, patience and understanding by the letting agent should be exceptional. They should be willing to help with any enquiry you have and should not put pressure or time limits on you. They must understand the importance of finding the correct tenant for your property that will respect it. They should not seem overly keen to simply fill the space.

Property Management Costs In property management there are sometimes hidden costs which is why you should get a breakdown of exactly what you the costs are. Good letting agents should be upfront and honest about their costs. Generally there is a one off fee for the property management service then the company will take a percentage of the monthly rent of the property. These can vary but you should assess the fee against the level of service you will receive.

Website and Properties A good letting company who are serious and professional about property management should really have their own website. This allows your property to be seen by a much larger audience. It should be used to explain fully the landlord and tenant services the agent offers, information on prices and a full list of their current properties, featuring a full description, details and professional photos to compliment it. The usability, efficiency and design of a letting agent site will tell you a lot about the company itself.

Full property management service or advertising only With a full property management service landlords should look for some or all of the following: online advertising of your property on major websites such as Lettingweb, Rightmove or the major lettings portals that service your area; arrange property signboards and viewings; carry out credit checks and references; manage tenancy agreements, collection of rent and inspections; and provide contact for maintenance and repairs.

A good letting agent will also offer an advertising only service which for a one of fee allows the landlord to manage their own property but have it advertised on major websites. The landlord could not do this on their own as advertising on these sites is reserved for agencies.

I am a landlord in Glasgow who owns a flat in the West End. I have used various letting agencies in the past with mixed success, but recently I came across a Glasgow letting agency online called You Let. You Let are based in Hope Street, Glasgow but I believe they have other branches in Cambridge, Ely and possibly elsewhere. I would recommend them to any landlord who wish to let out their property as the professionalism and honesty of their service has been great from the start. Their full property management service rate is 9.75% of the monthly rent and a one of fee of £79.95. They placed my property on Lettingweb, Rightmove and their own site and I had my flat let out in under two weeks. I think they also have an advertising only service.

Basics Of Commercial Real Estate

Understanding about commercial real estate is not as hard as you may think. Even though this may sound difficult on the surface, fact is understanding about commercial real estate is not difficult. Generally speaking, commercial real estate is a property that is used for business only. This means that the property is zoned for business use, and it should be used for that purpose only. When compared to residential real estate it is quite easy to see the difference between the two.

There are two common types of commercial real estate that are probably known very well. First one is, office buildings. These can be everything from the huge office buildings that you see in a big city, or smaller ones that are in little towns. Irrespevitve of the size of property,if they are used solely for business they are known as commercial real estate. Additionally,properties that house retail stores can also be considered as commercial real estate.For example, the strip malls that are seen in suburbs all over the United States are commercial real estate. They are used for business only, and are meant for retail shop owners to move in and sell their products.

Many people may have this question in mind, what is the advantage of buying commercial real estate?. While most people will never purchase commercial real estate. Many people buy this type of property because they have a business that needs somewhere to work. And instead of renting they would much rather buy commercial real estate so that they can own it one day Investing in commercial real estate is wiser for them.

Although this differs from investing in residential properties, things remain the same for the most part. The main goal of a commercial real estate investor is to generate income as soon as possible. Now you could have understand about what commercial real estate is all about.There is not much you need to learn unless you are interested in buying commercial real estate. If you are in that position you will want to learn a bit more about the industry as well as how to make a purchase.



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