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Leasing your investment property – should you use an agent?

Market Insights
4 years ago
3 minutes

When it comes to deciding whether to pay someone to manage your new investment property for you, the idea of saving that 10% could make it tempting to take care of the whole thing yourself.

But there are plenty of benefits that make using an agent more than worth it. If you’re just starting out as a landlord, here’s how using an agent pays off.

They know what they’re doing

Obviously. But this is the main benefit of using an agent. Using someone who’s job it is to manage property means you don’t have to suddenly learn everything there is to know about being a landlord. Instead, you can pay them a small amount and benefit from all of their expertise.

Every new administrative aspect of life adds stress. But even if you’re the kind of person who relishes more tasks in their life, what could be better than having someone else take care of the management of your investment?

If your car broke down, you would start learning how to be a mechanic. So, take advantage of an experienced property manager.

They deal with the tricky stuff

A good agent will find the right tenant for you in the first place, with plenty of stringent criteria to find someone suitable and responsible. But if something ever goes wrong with your investment property, it’s the agent who will deal directly with your tenant, not you.

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This is very important if things start to get a little heated, or if there is contention over maintenance, rent increases, and so on. An agent will know all of the laws and responsibilities, as well as landlords’ and tenants’ rights.

Keeping at arm’s length from the day-to-day management of your investment property means you don’t get involved in emotional decisions. You’ll have a better experience in the long-run.

Rental and bond guarantees

An agent will ensure that you continue to get paid, even if your tenant misses a payment for whatever reason.

Agents have full and effective processes in place to ensure regular payment of rent by tenants. They will do all of the chasing – debt collecting, in other words – so you don’t have to deal with this potentially difficult situation.

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A registered agent will also ensure the secure collection and return of your tenants’ bond through your state’s residential tenancies bond authority. This protects both the landlord’s and the tenant’s rights regarding bond monies and ensures everyone is happy.

Regular Inspections

As a landlord you’ll need to conduct regular inspections of your investment property, to ensure the tenants are taking good care of it and to check for any maintenance issues you need to remedy. This inspection usually occurs every 6 or 12 months. And it would mean taking time out of your day that you probably don’t have.

An agent will take care of this regular annoyance for you, and keep full records of the state of your property. Goodbye, inconvenience, hello peace of mind.

Read tips about being a great landlord here.