We live and breathe lettings at Ultralets and have recently celebrated our 10th birthday. For a decade we’ve been finding homes for people of all walks of life and managing the property portfolios of a range of landlords. This might sound cliché, but no two days are the same in this industry!

In this blog post we’ll share information about how to become a letting agent, what a typical working day looks like and the skills and knowledge required. 

First steps: where do you start?

One way to get into the industry is through an apprenticeship. Our Lettings Manager, Alice, started out as an Apprentice. Here’s what she has to say about this path into the job role:

“An apprenticeship was a fantastic way into lettings for me. I knew I wanted to work in property and being an Apprentice allowed me to get my foot in the door and learn about the role whilst on the job. As soon as I started at Ultralets, I knew I'd made the right decision and it was the right path for me. I was given all the training I needed along with the right amount of independence to learn more at my own pace. I've worked at Ultralets for 6 years now and wouldn't look back.”

Another way to become a Letting Agent is by working your way up. Apply for an administrative position then learn the ropes. As you become more comfortable in a lettings environment, you’ll be able to work your way up.

5 key skills required

#1 Knowledge of the property market. Knowing the rental prices and hotspots in your local area will set you up nicely. Do plenty of research and try to understand rental demands and property trends. Having this information behind you will help in an interview situation.

#2 Your customer service skills need to be outstanding. A Letting Agent has to constantly communicate with a range of people from tenants, landlords and contractors so you need to be adaptable and professional. 

#3 Computer skills are essential. At Ultralets we’re completely paperless and all admin is done digitally to reduce our impact on the environment and improve efficiency. 

#4 Flexibility is key. We’re not talking about your weekly yoga class! In this industry the hours you work can be varied so being prepared for that is important. Sometimes viewings need to be done outside of ‘normal’ hours to work around tenants. Water leaks and urgent repairs won’t just happen between 9am-5pm either so maintenance work will sometimes need to be sorted.

#5 Owning a full driving licence is also a requirement as you’ll need to be able to nip from property to property to carry out viewings and inspections if your role isn’t office-based.

What does a normal day in the office look like?

There are a range of responsibilities for Letting Agents including:

- Preparing tenancy agreements

- Checking tenant references

- Doing property viewings 

- Meeting with landlords and advising on rents

- Promoting the rental properties 

- Organising works

- Making sure all legal requirements are met

- Moving tenants into properties 

Do you have questions about the industry? Feel free to get in touch, we’re always happy to help. Give us a call on 01482 562562.