23 May 2016

A Day in the Life of a Leasing Agent

Leasing agents are the face of their property portfolio – members of staff whose function is to deal with prospective tenants in a professional, informative, timely, and friendly manner.

They’re often the first point of contact between the tenant and the property, someone who has the capacity and skill to portray the property in an accurate and reflective light. This lets the tenant know whether the property is, or could be, the property they seek out.

But what else do leasing agent’s do, and how does this add value to the property process as a whole?

It is the answers to these questions that we seek to answer in today’s blog.

Value of leasing agents

Leasing agents are an indispensable component in the machinery of the property market. They’re the professionals who keep property’s ticking, not least because they have the knowledge and techniques to marry the right tenant with the right property.

A day in the life of a leasing agent is, to this end, a fascinating and challenging one. It’s a job that requires excellent communication and presentation skills, alongside the skills required to screen the most viable tenants, and advertise and inspect the property as required.

They’re also the professionals who deal with paperwork – particularly that with a legal dispensation – as it’s this technical background that often needs to be explained, in layman’s terms, to the prospective tenant. They therefore play a valued role for tenants, too.

Sales at its heart

The function of a leasing agent can, though, be reduced to one common denominator – and that is to achieve the sale, something which lies at the heart of their daily duties.

Leasing agents tend to have excellent selling skills.

And if you think about it, this makes sense. A day in the life of a leasing agent is about placing the right tenants in the property best suited for their circumstances. This involves presenting the property in a favourable light, focussing attention on the best assets of that property.

This means both the leasing agent and the tenant are satisfied with any ensuing deal. It eliminates any degree of risk – risk which, if ignored, would be ruinous for both sides. It’s in the interests of both the leasing agent and the tenant to get things right.

Leasing tenants are also involved with screening tenants – an essential process in their daily duties. It jettisons any risk associated with rent payment, risk of high vacancy turnover, and the potential for maintenance or legal difficulties.

In other words, selecting the right tenants – and performing the necessary background checks – maximizes the value of that ‘sale’ while, at the same time, streamlining the management of that property. Leasing agents are, by the nature of their work, highly organized people.

A rewarding profession?

Yet one would be in error to forget that leasing is – when it comes down to it – all about dealing with people and how these decisions affect their lives. To this end, leasing agents can derive a certain satisfaction from their daily duties.

After all, tenants – which can include entire families – rely, and place some degree of trust, in the leasing agent. The leasing agent is the fulcrum upon which the tenants and property lie. And, as the fulcrum, tenants depend on the leasing agent to tilt the balance in their favour.

For this reason, a day in the life of a leasing agent can be thoroughly rewarding. It’s a profession that deals with the many challenges that tenants face when looking for their new property, and it supplies answers that can have a truly transformative effect for their lives.