Some agents 'talking down the lettings culture' says Spicerhaart

Spicerhaart says that with the lettings agency industry under attack there is a danger of some within the sector focussing too much on challenges and “talking their own culture down”.

A statement from the company’s managing director Andrew Benn says that many agents across the country are feeling pressure.

This comes from increased competition from online-only offerings, rising external costs and the introduction of new legislation - all important factors that, if not carefully managed, could impact a company’s culture.   

“The danger is that some agents could be guilty of focusing on the challenges and talking their own culture down” says the statement.

But Benn insists that in reality the market is working well for many. 

For tenants, rents are rising at a slower rate than inflation, representing what feels like a real-term reduction in their monthly outgoings, he says. 

New regulation such as the recently introduced Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, together with the promise of a so-called database of rogue landlords will help drive up the quality of private rented stock.

Steadily rising property values are helping to ensure the overall value of a landlord’s portfolio is typically growing over the longer term.  

“We encourage a culture where we focus on delivering an industry leading service with the goal to maximise our landlord’s investment and provide a positive experience for our tenants. 

“However, for our customers to really be at the heart of everything we do, we recognise that must invest the time to develop our people. 

“Our core beliefs have been designed to ensure our people know what we expect from them, and we provide training and ongoing coaching to build on these necessary skills” insists Benn.

He adds: “We ensure our people who are not only competent, but they actually care about the success of the private rented sector. The commitment we’ve made together means that our landlord’s properties are being well managed whilst at the same time our people are enjoying the benefits of a long-term, rewarding career.”