Robert Williams Estate Agents, Exeter

Our popular Q&A series continues with our MD, Oliver Williams, on the topic of lettings. If you have a question, join the Q&A and ask! You can call us, email or send us a message via our social media platforms. Now for the answer:

A: No, it’s not absolutely necessary to hire a lettings agency, but we do come with some distinct advantages…

First and foremost, property professionals bring invaluable expertise and market knowledge to the table. With their finger on the pulse of the local rental trends, market values and tenant preferences, they can guide you in setting the right rental price and attracting quality tenants - their expertise optimises your return on your investment.

Secondly, legal compliance is crucial in the rental process. Property professionals stay up to date with ever-changing laws and regulations, ensuring compliance in everything from tenancy agreements to conducting the necessary checks, therefore safeguarding your interest and minimising the risk of legal disputes.

Effective marketing and tenant screening are essential for finding suitable tenants. Letting agents have a network of potential tenants and use various channels to promote properties to the right audience. They use a thorough screening process to ensure tenants meet requirements.

Ongoing property management can be daunting and time consuming. Letting agents have systems in place to handle this seamlessly, from addressing tenant enquiries professionally and coordinating any maintenance to conducting regular inspections and consistent record-keeping. They ensure your property is looked after and your tenants are satisfied.

Now let’s talk cost – lettings agencies offer invaluable services, but it is important to consider the associated fees. Property management fees typically range from 10 to 15% of the monthly rental income. If you have the time and knowledge to manage the property yourself, you can save on these fees, however it’s worth your while weighing up the benefits and convenience against the cost, to find the right balance. Most agencies offer various levels of service, so this might be worth looking at for your convenience and peace of mind.

So, do you need a property professional to let your property? Well ultimately, that depends on your time, availability, expertise and personal preferences. Consider your circumstances, evaluate the benefits and cost and choose the option that aligns with your needs and priorities. Rest assured that if you do require the services of an agency at any point, we would be happy to help.

We're thrilled to welcome Gemma Westle as our Assistant Sales Manager.

Gemma brings a raft of skills to the role, having begun her career in the property industry working for an award-winning, independent London-based estate agency in 2006. She also has 13 years’ experience in B2B fleet sales, which, although not property-related, helped shape and develop her communication skills, strength, resilience, and determination.

Home for Gemma is in Westclyst, to the northeast of Exeter, and she was born and bred in Devon. Her instinctive passion for property has been rekindled by spending the last three years with another independent agency in Exeter.

Gemma said: “In my previous role I was prominently conducting business in an area that was very local to the office premises. I was drawn to Robert Williams because the agency serves a much wider area so I’m looking forward to working in all the towns, villages and districts surrounding the city. The business also possesses similar core values. Independent agency and a particular focus on customer service is extremely important to me. I’m mostly delighted to continue doing the job that I love, with the benefit of more advanced resources.”

A natural people person, professional and personable, Gemma takes pride in delivering a first-class service without compromise, striving to achieve – and where possible exceed customer’s expectations, so she was a perfect choice to fill the role at Robert Williams.

Graham Coton, our Associate Director, said: “Gemma is a genuinely lovely person with a true penchant for all property related matters and we’re confident that she’ll prove to be a real asset – to the business, to the team and to our clients.”

When Gemma isn’t working, she plays in a friendly social netball league and enjoys long walks and bike rides with her family in the beautiful countryside surrounding her home.

Gemma joins a highly acclaimed estate and lettings agency with award-winning customer service and literally hundreds of five-star reviews from buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants across South Devon.

To find out about our fresh approach to all your property needs or to arrange a valuation of your property, call us on 01392 204800.

Our very own office manager, Suzanne has won the allAgents Special Recognition Award for her sterling work keeping buyers and sellers happy in what can be a stressful process of buying a property.Thank you Suzanne, and thank you allAgents!

 

Congratulations to Carol Finning for winning two cinema tickets in our Social Media Giving Day promotion!

Here's Carol collecting her prize from our Gemma in the office.

Some people are put off buying a listed property due to the responsibilities it brings, but listed buildings have a special quality and that’s probably the reason why you’re thinking about buying it!

You’re right to be a bit wary as there are indeed certain restrictions on what you can and can’t do to listed buildings, in terms of both bringing them up to modern standards and putting your own stamp on them. Generally, though, owners of listed properties understand, respect and accept this responsibility and its limitations.

Grade II listed status doesn’t mean you can’t touch anything at all - you are simply obliged to respect the character of the building. All properties need updating at some point and there are enough Grade II listed buildings that have been modernised to see that it’s perfectly possible to include every creature comfort, from luxury fitted kitchens to wet rooms. And while alterations to an existing listed building may well mean using appropriate traditional materials and methods, it could be a requirement that modern materials are used on brand new extensions.

If you do decide to buy a listed property, it’s important to use a solicitor who is familiar not only with the area, but also with the sort of anomalies that may crop up during legal enquiries. For the same reasons, you should use a local surveyor with good experience of listed buildings, who fully understands the structure.

Finally, when it comes to making any alterations, it’s always best to involve the local listed buildings people from day one. They are generally extremely co-operative, appreciate that we live in the 21st Century regardless of the age of the building and in some cases may just be relieved that someone is prepared to take on a particular property.

We have RICS qualified Chartered Surveyors and property specialists within our team, so if you’d like some specific advice, just give us a call on 01392 204800 and we can help.

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