The challenge
Demand across Altrincham and South Manchester is strong, but strong demand only converts into agreed lets if the properties are priced correctly and marketed properly. Overprice a property in a busy market and it still sits. It just sits while everything around it lets.
What we did
- Priced each property against what the market was actually paying rather than testing an optimistic figure first.
- Marketed them properly and put them in front of our registered applicants immediately.
- Ran viewings promptly, in blocks, so applicants could be compared and decisions made quickly.
- Moved agreed applicants straight into referencing rather than letting momentum drop.
The result
8 lets agreed
Eight properties were let agreed within one week, with further viewings already booked. Where properties are correctly priced and marketed we are generally agreeing lets within one to two weeks, and in some cases within 24 to 72 hours where demand is particularly strong.
The takeaway
Void periods are expensive and mostly avoidable. A property that is priced right and marketed properly lets in days rather than months, and the rent lost while holding out for an extra £50 a month is rarely made back.