PROPERTY
© Mollie Manning
TN LETTINGS :
NAVIGATING THE LETTINGS MARKET
BECKY MORAN
With significant developments in legislation and taxation , insideKENT met with Becky Moran ( managing director , TN Lettings ) to find out what ’ s happening in the current market and what makes Tenterdenbased TN Lettings different in their field .
Hi Becky , what makes you stand out from other lettings companies ? TN Lettings has come from an ethical and fair starting point ; after having terrible experiences personally , I felt that , for the fees charged and the work that was carried out , there was a better way of running an agency . Everything we do is fair and is done with real passion for what we do , making sure that everyone is looked after individually and their needs as a landlord or tenant are dealt with as a bespoke service . Also , we are super friendly - a good chat makes a difference !
What are the biggest challenges you ’ re facing in today ’ s housing market ? The biggest challenge is without a doubt the threat of the increase to capital gains tax . Landlords are worried , they are trying to sell , and it ’ s hard to sell currently as it ’ s a real buyer ’ s market with people holding out for mortgage rates to decrease . What we are finding though is that after a period of trying to sell a property and not succeeding , they do tend to return to the rental market .
What strategies do you have in place to overcome this ? There are a number of things we are doing to help our landlords and overcome market challenges . We are currently inviting landlords to have a portfolio review and look at all of their properties to see which are performing well , which could do better , which have a large-level capital gains and again lower level . Also , we are looking at mortgage rates and , if the landlord has a mortgage , the implications of the interest rate they have secured running out . Planning ahead in the current market is key and looking a good six months ahead is essential .
What do you think makes an excellent lettings agent ? I think this is simple ; keep it simple , know your properties , landlords and tenants inside out , and make sure you fit the right tenant to the right property . If you have a happy tenant the house is looked after , your rent is paid and problems are reported nice and quickly . It ’ s about taking the time and doing the right thing , not just renting a property out .
How important is customer service to you ? Customer service is so important in every industry surely , we all expect this , we are paying for it and it costs nothing to be nice and helpful . I think it is a given and the basics to any service in this day and age .
Do you have any top tips for people considering renting in West Kent ? If you are looking to rent in West Kent , it ’ s a busy market with lots of tenants looking so firstly make sure you register with all the agencies you can find locally as they can potentially allow you to look at properties before they go on the open market . Secondly , when looking online you must look at Rightmove , of course , but On The Market and Zoopla have different properties as some small companies don ’ t advertise on Rightmove , so ensure you look across all sites . Lastly , don ’ t hesitate and lose a property ; if you want it offer straight away and go for it .
For anyone considering letting their property , what benefits does your tailored management service provide ? Management is great as it takes away the stress - the letting agent sorts everything for you no matter how big or small and ensures that the property is looked after , the cost is deducted from the monthly rent and it ’ s an amount you don ’ t need to pay tax on for a hassle-free rental property .
To find out more about lettings management opportunities , visit tnlettings . co . uk .
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