21st June 2022
A Day in the Life of a Brighton Lettings Agent
These days a good Estate Agency will usually have an equally thriving Lettings side to their business. Even so, many people are still unsure of what exactly that means, so we thought it was a great idea to ask our Senior Lettings Consultant Georgina Tunbridge to talk through a typical day in one of Brighton's busiest Lettings offices...
"Being
a mum of a toddler, I start my day around 5.30 or 6 am", Georgina begins.
"Naturally the first thing I reach for is coffee, and after making sure my
daughter is fed and watered, I check my WhatsApp's and emails to see if any
urgent messages have come in overnight or if there are any messages from
landlords."
"I keep in touch with a lot of our
property owners via Whatsapp, especially those overseas as the time difference
can be challenging and instant messaging is such a good way to keep in
touch," she explains.
"I
reach the office around 8 am, where I check the diaries for the department and
see what appointments are booked in and if we have any contractors visiting the
office. I then go through the inboxes and make notes to discuss in the morning
meeting."
The meeting is where Georgina gets to advise her team about any existing property that needs additional work, and also any new properties that are being launched.
"As
well as then laying out a general plan for the day, this get-together also
gives the team a good chance to make comments on any items they need to share
or would like me to look at more," she adds.
"Depending
on the diary, my morning will consist of emails, follow ups and ensuring that
any invoices are processed and the rents we receive that morning are correct
and ready to be sent to our landlords to receive the next working day."
"It's
important we have a quick turnaround for receiving and paying rents, we know
our landlords have their own expenses and we wouldn't ever want to delay
that," Georgina emphasises.
"We
encourage our tenants to set up standing orders to ensure there isn't ever a
reason for arrears to accumulate, so we rarely have arrears," she
explains.
"In the
exceptional circumstances where this does occur, we make sure this is
communicated immediately to all parties to ensure any issue is resolved
quickly."
Valuations
are also a large part of Georgina's day and an aspect of the job she
particularly enjoys.
"I
visit properties and meet new landlords who are thinking of renting their
properties with us. I discuss our three fantastic services with them,
Management, Rent Processing and Tenant Introduction, and I go through the pros
and cons of it all in detail," she says.
"At Maslen we pride ourselves on having good relationships with our landlord and tenants. This means we create a constantly evolving open dialogue and trust, so all parties feel they can approach us with anything they need and be honest with any issues they might have."
Georgina's
leadership skills mean that the Lettings team at Maslen are one of the most
admired in the city, and her open, friendly yet extremely businesslike approach
fits in with our company's overall ethos perfectly!
Whether
you’re thinking of buying your first rental property or you’re already an
established landlord, we’re here to make help you make the most of your
investment. Contact us today and find out how we can make your #landlordlife a
happy one.