Choosing the right letting agent can have a significant impact on both the performance of your investment and your experience as a landlord.

The cheapest agent isn't necessarily the best value, while the agent suggesting the highest rental figure isn't necessarily going to achieve the best result.

A good letting agent should help you find the right tenant, minimise void periods, protect your property, remain compliant and make owning a rental property as straightforward as possible.

At Willmott & Lake, we work with landlords throughout Bishop's Stortford, Stansted, Sawbridgeworth, Takeley, Great Dunmow and the surrounding villages.

Here are some of the most important things we believe landlords should consider when comparing letting agents.

1. How Well Do They Know the Local Rental Market?

Local knowledge matters.

Two similar properties only a short distance apart can achieve different rents depending on their location, proximity to transport links, school catchments, parking and overall tenant demand.

A good local letting agent should be able to explain:

What your property could realistically achieve
What type of tenant it is likely to attract
How quickly similar properties are letting
What improvements could increase its rental value
How your property compares with competing homes

Be cautious of simply choosing whichever agent gives you the highest valuation.

An additional £50 per month sounds attractive, but if an overpriced property remains empty for several additional weeks, the landlord can quickly end up worse off.

2. Look at the Quality of Their Property Marketing

Rental properties deserve good marketing too.

Tenants increasingly begin their property search online, meaning photographs and presentation create the first impression of your investment.

Look at an agent's existing listings.

Would you be impressed if your property was marketed in the same way?

At Willmott & Lake, we believe rental properties should receive the same attention to presentation as properties being sold.

Professional-quality marketing can help generate more interest, attract stronger applicants and potentially reduce the amount of time your property remains vacant.

3. Ask Exactly What Their Management Fee Includes

Don't compare letting agents purely by percentage.

One agent charging 8% may ultimately be more expensive than another charging 10% once additional charges are taken into account.

Before instructing an agent, ask whether there are additional fees for things such as:

Setting up the tenancy
Routine inspections
Tenancy changes
Maintenance administration
Contractor invoices
Compliance administration
End-of-tenancy management

At Willmott & Lake, our fully managed service is 10% plus VAT.

We don't charge a management setup fee and we don't add a percentage or mark-up to contractor invoices.

We believe landlords should be able to understand exactly what they are paying for.

4. Ask Whether They Mark Up Maintenance Costs

This is something landlords don't always think to ask.

When a repair is required, some management models include additional contractor or maintenance administration charges.

For example, if a contractor charges £300, you should understand whether £300 is what you will ultimately pay or whether the agent adds an additional charge.

At Willmott & Lake, we don't mark up contractor invoices.

If a contractor invoices £300, we aren't turning that into a £330 or £360 bill simply for arranging the work.

For landlords with properties held over many years, transparency around maintenance costs can make a considerable difference.

5. How Will Your Rent Be Handled?

Your rental income is one of the most important aspects of the relationship with your letting agent.

Ask:

How is rent collected?
When are landlords paid?
How are statements provided?
How quickly are missed payments identified?
What happens if a tenant falls into arrears?

At Willmott & Lake, we use PayProp to process rental payments.

Using a specialist property payment platform provides landlords with greater transparency and helps us process rental income efficiently.

6. How Does the Agent Handle Maintenance?

A leaking tap at 10am on a Tuesday is relatively straightforward.

A more significant problem involving heating, electrics or water can require considerably more coordination.

If you're considering fully managed lettings, ask who:

Receives maintenance reports
Contacts contractors
Arranges access
Obtains quotations
Updates you
Follows up completed work

One of the main reasons landlords choose full management is so they don't have to coordinate these issues themselves.

Your managing agent should make that process easier rather than simply forwarding every tenant email to you.

7. How Often Will Your Property Be Inspected?

Once a tenant has moved in, landlords shouldn't simply forget about the property until the tenancy ends.

Routine inspections provide an opportunity to check the general condition of the property and identify potential maintenance concerns.

Ask prospective agents:

Whether inspections are included
How frequently they take place
Whether you receive an update afterwards
How any concerns are handled

Regular inspections can identify relatively minor issues before they develop into more expensive problems.

8. How Does the Agent Approach Inventories?

A detailed inventory provides an important record of the property's condition at the beginning of a tenancy.

At Willmott & Lake, we outsource inventories to independent third-party inventory providers.

We believe there is a benefit in having an impartial record prepared by a specialist rather than simply producing the report ourselves.

If there is a disagreement regarding the property's condition or deposit at the end of the tenancy, having a comprehensive independent inventory can be particularly valuable.

9. Are They Keeping Up With Landlord Legislation?

The regulatory environment for landlords has changed considerably and continues to evolve.

A professional letting agent should understand the requirements affecting your tenancy and be able to help you keep on top of important obligations.

These can include:

Gas Safety Certificates
Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs)
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements
Deposit protection
Right to Rent requirements
Property condition requirements
Changes introduced through the Renters' Rights reforms

Compliance shouldn't be an afterthought.

For many landlords, particularly those with one or two properties, keeping up with changing regulation is one of the biggest reasons to consider professional management.

10. How Good Is Their Communication?

This is one of the hardest things to judge before appointing an agent, but potentially one of the most important.

You don't want to spend years chasing your managing agent for answers.

Consider your experience from your first enquiry.

Did they:

Respond quickly?
Answer your questions properly?
Explain things clearly?
Provide realistic advice?
Make it easy to contact them?

Also look at the agent's online reviews and see what existing clients say about communication and service.

A management relationship could last for many years, so choosing people you trust and feel comfortable dealing with matters.

11. Do They Offer Tenant Find and Fully Managed Services?

Not every landlord needs the same level of service.

An experienced landlord living locally may simply want an agent to market the property and secure a suitable tenant.

Someone becoming a landlord for the first time may prefer the entire tenancy to be managed.

At Willmott & Lake, we offer both.

Our Tenant Find service is three weeks' rent plus VAT, while our Fully Managed service is 10% plus VAT.

This means landlords can choose the service that best suits how involved they want to be.

12. Don't Choose Your Letting Agent on Fee Alone

Management fees matter, but they should form only one part of your decision.

Imagine one agent charges slightly less but:

Takes longer to find tenants
Uses poorer marketing
Adds charges elsewhere
Communicates badly
Doesn't proactively manage maintenance
Provides limited compliance support

The saving can quickly disappear.

Instead, consider the overall service and ask yourself:

"Who would I trust to look after an asset worth hundreds of thousands of pounds?"

That's ultimately what you're asking a managing agent to do.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Letting Agent

Before making your decision, consider asking:

What rent do you realistically expect my property to achieve?
What's included within your management fee?
Are there any setup charges?
Do you mark up contractor invoices?
How do you process rent payments?
How frequently do you inspect managed properties?
Who deals with maintenance?
How do you handle compliance?
How will you market my property?
Who will I actually deal with once the tenancy begins?

A good letting agent should be comfortable answering all of these questions clearly.

Looking for a Letting Agent in Bishop's Stortford?

If you're comparing letting agents in Bishop's Stortford or the surrounding area, we'd be happy to have a conversation about your property — even if you're still deciding whether to let it.

Willmott & Lake provides Tenant Find and Fully Managed lettings services across:

Bishop's Stortford
Stansted
Sawbridgeworth
Takeley
Great Dunmow
Much Hadham
Little Hadham
Surrounding villages

We combine professional property marketing with local knowledge, personal service, modern systems and transparent fees.

Our fully managed service is 10% plus VAT, with no management setup fees and no mark-ups on contractor invoices.

If you'd like to know what your property could achieve in the current rental market, contact Willmott & Lake on 01279 801165 to arrange a free, no-obligation rental valuation.

How to Choose the Right Letting Agent in Bishop's Stortford