Having chosen to market a holiday let through an agency there are number of checks and a lot of research which will help to appoint the most appropriate company for your property. The overall goal (in most cases) is to maximise the income which can be obtained from the property. So with this in mind, the following checklist will help to choose the right letting agency.

Finding holiday letting agents

As with most research these days, Google is the starting point, so search phrases such as ‘holiday letting agent in ....’ will be a start. There are a few other ways to create a shortlist.

• Local or regional tourist brochure. This will have a self-catering section where agency’s advertise.
• Local contacts, such as estate agents will be able to suggest companies.
• Although in decline, advertising in the weekend editions of national newspapers is still used by many holiday letting agents.
• Online directories such as yell.com or thomsonlocal.com will list agencies which have their head office or a branch in a particular area or town.

About the company

Evidence of success stories

This can be evidenced in a number of ways, such as the growth and profitability of the company or the awards they have won or been shortlisted for. It can also be worth searching for the company name on TripAdvisor, though it is important to take comments and experiences at face value.

Entering the company name into a search engine may also unearth more about the company, such as news stories from local and regional press.

Website

Viewing the website should give an overview of the agency, their history and what they offer.

Current portfolio

Looking at their existing portfolio of holiday lets will give a lot of useful information, such as:

• How many properties they have in the same area.
• The booking price of those properties.
• The occupancy of those properties.

If they have a number of properties in the area of your property with good bookings, this is probably the best testimonial you can ask for; they have a proven track records of successful bookings of similar properties in the town or area where your property is situated.

Areas covered

Are they local specialists or regional or national agencies with many properties. A small agency will have local knowledge and be able to sell the property effectively while a larger agency will have more marketing resources and the potential to reach a wider audience. This is not to say one is preferable to the other; both have advantages and disadvantages.

Other articles in this series:

How to choose a Holiday Lettings Agent – Key Questions to Ask.

How to choose a Holiday Lettings Agent – What they will do for your property.