5 things letting agents need to do to find landlords for their agency

Trying to find landlords for your letting agency can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. You have to know where to find them, what type of landlord you want to attract, and make your marketing reaches them. Investing your time into searching for landlords will reap great benefits, increasing your property portfolio and making sure your agency stands out.

We understand acquiring landlords is easier said than done. That’s why Resooma has put together this guide to help letting agents find landlords. This article covers where you can find landlords and the best ways you can attract them to your agency.

Decide on the type of landlord you want to attract

When finding a landlord for your agency, deciding what type to attract will influence how you market to them. There are three types of landlords:

• New landlords looking to invest in buy-to-let properties for the first time will want help to access the private rented sector. They may also want to expand their portfolio.
• Accidental landlords want to rent out a property they don’t live in or want to sell.
• Portfolio landlords already have a portfolio of two or more properties and may be open to working with a letting agent.

Letting agents may wish to go for one type of landlord or more. But deciding who you want to attract is essential, so your message attracts landlords who want to work with you. Whether they’re interested in rental income or are concerned about void periods, you’ll be able to attract and retain landlords much better with a message that addresses their needs. It helps agents understand what landlords are looking for in their services.

Find landlords through positive reviews and word-of-mouth

Personal recommendations from current landlords are one great way to find new landlords. By offering a consistent, high-standard service to current landlords, they won’t have a problem giving you a recommendation. Be available to landlords and respond to any concerns or queries promptly to maintain that high-standard service. Letting agents can ask landlords to review their agency across all their platforms to promote your services.

Alternatively, you can use referral schemes to find landlords. For example, when landlords recommend other landlords, you can earn a commission when you successfully sign on with an agency. Resooma Bills uses this incentive, where landlords earn a commission per successful tenant they refer to use our service.

Show a proven record to fill properties with high quality tenants. You can achieve this through positive reviews on your website, review platforms or through stats on your site. Listing with Resooma means we’ll find the best tenants for your property and even provide a review system for tenants to review your services and property.

Show you’re an industry expert in your area to find landlords

By setting yourself up as an industry expert in your area, you can increase your visibility by addressing landlord issues and news in your local area. Letting agents can create well-written and researched content to help and guide the landlords they want to attract. Whether that’s through a blog, quarterly reports on the rental market or e-books that landlords sign up with their emails to receive, sharing content will make your agency trustworthy for landlords.

Our Agent Insights series is one example of creating trustworthy content for landlords and agents in the private rented sector. In our interview with Celyn Evans from James Douglas, we found information on Cardiff’s current tenant demand and how renting has changed from the start of the pandemic. Having a trusted letting agent share their expertise in their local area will ultimately attract more landlords.

Find landlords by listing on property portals

Like tenants who turn to property portals to look for properties to rent, landlords will also search for investments online. Letting agents need to increase their presence on these portals to find landlords.

Listing with Resooma allows you to maximise your property’s exposure and reach tenants with no upfront costs. With us, you can reduce void periods, earn £10,500 more revenue, and even earn a monthly commission when you successfully refer tenants to us. You won’t just be visible to tenants, but landlords too when you list properties with Resooma.

Up your marketing game

When you know what type of landlord you want to reach out to, raising your marketing game is essential to finding landlords. Ensure you are active across all social media platforms to get your message out to potential landlords. Whether that’s advertising your current listed properties or sharing content like blog posts, active social media accounts will reach landlords.

If you want to rank highly online such as through Google, update your website and SEO strategy. Adding new blog posts, updating and refreshing the user interface, and optimising your website’s SEO are all ways to help your website rank organically. Tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs and the browser extension Keywords Everywhere are perfect for checking the search volume, keyword difficulty, and competition of keywords.

Though digital marketing is the most commonly used form of marketing, forms of traditional marketing can also be very effective, especially for older landlords who are less inclined to use social media and the internet. Business cards and leaflets are one example of traditional marketing, and they’re easy to distribute. Finding properties with ‘to let’ signs and putting your business card through the door is one way of distribution. Alternatively, if you have a larger marketing budget, look into OOH advertising such as billboards or bus banners to attract attention.

Remember to put as much effort into your traditional marketing as you would with your digital marketing! Creating eye-catching and creative business cards and leaflets will help you to stand out from other letting agencies. Check out some of our favourite unique business cards from Bored Panda.

Network with potential landlords

Though your website and social media may attract landlords, finding landlords in person is extremely beneficial. Networking is the most fundamental when looking for landlords to list with your agency. Attending industry events allows agents to get their foot in the door by meeting potential customers and promoting your industry.

Building a community of trusted landlords is another excellent networking tactic. Ask those you’re friendly with in the industry if they know of any potential landlords looking for agencies. Asking renters you’ve helped in the past to recommend your agency to their landlords will also help promote your services.

If you find landlords through social media, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and speak to them as well. Even if they are with another agency, you might still leave a lasting impression on them.

With our guide on how your agency can attract them, you’ll be on your way to effortlessly finding landlords and winning them over when pitching your agency. Find out how you can win by listing with Resooma. Check out our article on implementing marginal gains to improve your services and attract more landlords and renters.