haart has appointed its first lettings partner under its new scheme for home-based agents, as it embarks on a major expansion programme.
Marc West, 33, is responsible for lettings in Nuneaton, supported by haart’s Coventry Property Centre.
His appointment signals the start of a major £30m investment programme in haart Lettings under the leadership of new managing director Satwant Basi.
West, who previously worked for haart for seven years before spending time as a car salesman, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant to be back and I’m delighted to be the pioneer for this scheme and setting the blueprint for Lettings partnerships. My thanks to Satwant Basi for giving me this opportunity and welcoming me back into the family.
“I’ve already been out door knocking, leaflet dropping and making videos as social media is the key, and I’ve quickly become fourth market share new listings and third for new lets in my area within two months.
“My first major success is a 52-bed unit former hotel which we’re now letting in phases. I’m passionate about gaining great Google reviews for fantastic service.”
Basi said: “I was never in doubt that Marc would one day return to the fold, and we are incredibly happy that he has. Marc brings an unrivalled appetite to drive new business activity with energy and this is essential in a partner’s make up. The blueprint has been laid for a bright and exciting partner expansion plan and Marc has certainly helped us shape what that looks like moving forward.”
haart lettings area director, Andy Townsend, added: “The business is changing and evolving massively and we’re thrilled that Marc has returned and is starting this journey for the group. He’s done a phenomenal job in such a short time already.”
Comments (19)
Good luck to him, he’s worked for the company previously. So it’s not like he doesn’t know the letting business and has no knowledge.
Just had a quick look on Google and he has some great reviews already in a short amount of time. The lettings industry is tough at the minute with fees been low and some landlords using other platforms.
But I still think with the right attitude, drive, knowledge, trust and commitment, you can achieve alot
I wish the guy well.
Now for the bad news. Lettings fee’s are so low that unless you have a portfolio to keep you above water you are going to struggle to the point that I would say today it is non-viable to start with no portfolio and the industry has turned into a situation only the few established agents will survive and maintain a monopoly.
100%
Lettings has had its day.
The metriotic rise of the 7% fully managed agent, the tenant fee ban. Every tenant looking to sue the agent / landlord. The government looking to eradicate the PRS and push institutional investors such as Lloyds.
Best of luck to a self employed letting agent.
We were late to the party with lettings. Most days i still wonder why bother for the stress it causes.
Only reason i persist is for my eventual exit strategy.
Haart Lettings do not publish any Landlords fees on their website breaching the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
This is a transcript of my Live Chat with them this morning when I asked them about their fees
Emma B
Mon, 10/18/21 11:06:56 am Europe/London
Hello, my name is Emma B. How may I help you today?
Visitor
11:06:56 am
Hi Shannon, i am looking for details of your landlords fees on your website – please send me a link
You were transferred to Grant
11:11:30 am
Visitor
11:14:27 am
Is anybody there ………..
You were transferred to Liam S
11:15:31 am
You were transferred to Janet
11:19:33 am
Janet
11:20:20 am
Hello
Visitor
11:20:31 am
Hello
Janet
11:22:18 am
We dont have any set fees – it would depend on what sort of package you would require, management, tenant find….
Visitor
11:22:42 am
fully managed fees please
Janet
11:22:59 am
We would love to send one of our local property experts to the property to have a look and go through the fees with you
Visitor
11:23:18 am
Before i get to that stage i need to know what the likely fees will be please
Please just send me the link on your website to your fees
I don’t want to waste anyones time in case your fees are too expensive
Janet
11:26:04 am
You certainly would not be wasting our time – the fees can only be discussed at the, or after the appointment, as the property expert would need to see the property, how many bedrooms, location etc – they will be competitive
Visitor
11:26:45 am
So you do not publish an outline of your fees on your website ?
Janet
11:27:19 am
No – because we do not have set fees, there is nothing we can publish
would you be interested in one of our property experts coning out to have a chat – it is totally non obligational?
Visitor
11:30:21 am
OK that is odd though as I thought the Law required you to display Landlords fees – i may be mistaken ?
Janet
11:33:31 am
https://www.haart.co.uk/landlords/landlord-advice/how-much-does-it-cost-to-be-a-landlord/
The above will show the costings but not the fees as these would be discussed at the appointment
Visitor
11:35:01 am
OK thank you however this page doesn’t mention the actual amount of any fees you charge
OK thank you for your help
Janet
11:36:10 am
No problem – would you like to book an appointment?
A lot of businesses hide their fees, I found an easy way to find is to google the name of the company and “landlord fees”. Just done this with hart and was taken to a PDF online of fees: https://www.haart.co.uk/media/1639/hrt-membership-fees-south-v0519.pdf
Lettings Service Fee including Marketing, using portals and newspaper advertising, accompanied viewings and offer negotiations 4 weeks rent plus VAT If your weekly rent is £250, your 4 weeks rent + VAT would amount to £1,200
Discounted Letting Service Fee 2 weeks rent plus VAT If your weekly rent is £250, your 2 weeks rent + VAT would amount to £600
Enhanced Marketing service including marketing of your property using our exclusive social media technology, FLINK £185
Discounted Enhanced Marketing service £148 Tenancy Set Up including producing the tenancy agreement, completion of paperwork, tenant referencing, registration of tenant’s deposit and arranging pre-let works £414
Rent Collection including rent collection, arrears collection, accounting and renewal negotiation 12% of rent payable
Full Management including property maintenance, property visit, service of notices, deposit negotiation together with all services applicable under rent collection 14.4% of rent payable
Extension Set Up production of extension tenancy agreement £150
Instruction of another agent during sole agency period with haart – Administration Fee £360
Withdrawal from entering into a tenancy having instructed haart to proceed – Administration Fee £360
Paper copies of statements of account £3.00 per month
Tax retention and completion of documentation for HMRC £99 per quarter
Administration fee for the provision of NRL gross annual income and expenditure statement to HMRC £50
Provision of a statement showing gross income and expenditure for the year £120
Negotiations of deductions from Deposit or Flatbond (not Fully Managed) £300
Attendance at Court/Tribunal £180 day/part thereof
Service of Notices Administration Fee (including Section 8 or 21) where Full Management service is not taken £250
Extra property visit £46.80 Wait at property for landlord appointed Contractor following an arranged appointment £60 per hour/part thereof
Undertake partial or total furnishings for the property – Administration Fee 12% total value
Key Cutting Administration Charge £30
Payment to a bank account held outside of the United Kingdom £50 per payment made
Licensing Application Fee where a landlord requires a HMO, Additional or Selective Licence for the property (N.B. This is an application service only and does not result in haart becoming the licence holder for the property). £238.80
Rent Confirmation for Mortgage Provider Letter Fee £50
Gas Safety Administration Fee – Arrangement of Gas Safety Certificate where one is not provided at the commencement of the tenancy – Administration Fee £54
Rent Administration Fee Where a landlord chooses to terminate our service but rental payments continue to be made to haart – Administration fee (The landlord is responsible for informing all parties that rent should be directed to new agent). £50 per payment made
Unless you are in London
https://www.haart.co.uk/media/1682/hrt-let-memberships-fees-london-07-19.pdf
or Wales
https://www.haart.co.uk/media/1751/haart-wales-memberships-fees-0719.pdf
I wish anyone who is prepared to try their hand at Lettings, all the very best (subject to their intentions being good and their integrity, unquestionable). It may (from the outside), appear to be straightforward…but it’s tough, unforgiving and largely thankless sector, within the wider property industry.
My problem is, the whole article has the usual Haart tackiness about it. Let’s be clear, and SH can throw as much sugar-coating, chocolate sprinkles and press-release/marketing drivel at it, as they like. What this boils down to, is expansion (in the loosest sense) and very much ”on-the-cheap”.
Haart fluff-pieces always bring to mind, Only Fools and Horses…
Lettings is a people business. Whether you are sitting in an office or in your spare bedroom, in my opinion it doesn’t really make a difference to the level of service offered. Rubbish agents are rubbish agents no matter where they sit. Likewise good ones.
Being based in Scotland I do not really know haart or how their business operates and to be honest don’t really care. However, if an individual is starting something new, albeit in a different manner to the norm, so be it. I wish him luck.
From a dinosaur of over 25 years in the industry sitting in a shiny high street office.
What? No comments about bedroom agents from the dinosaurs? Good luck to him.
Give it till 11 o’clock, in the mornings they are too busy reading the property section in the newspapers
30M investment programme, its Monday morning so did I read that right? Recruit a load of staff, put more cost into an already loss making business, Chuck in a few league tables and the obligatory pizza for the winner and whoosh. What could possibly go wrong.
Door knocking? Seriously? And you are happy adverting that?
He has yet to learn that there is very high likelihood that, where there is a To Let sign, it is occupied by tenants.
Not a good news story.
Young man gets sold the dream in the property industry, gets so disillusioned that he goes off to sell cars for 4 years. Realises that the car industry is full of the same sort of people selling the same sort of dream, then he goes back to the previous company to REALLY make his fortune by working for himself, but not working for himself at all.
And not having any of the safety net of employment because he’s going to be king of the castle in his area now he’s working from home for ‘himself’. *Sigh*
Letting fees are low. Problems are constant, bad reviews are standard.. Good luck. I’ll give him a few months before he goes back to selling cars.
Just not enough fees in lettings anymore – feel sorry for this chap he is not really going to make much out of this.
The amount of landlords using openrent and similar private letting sites that allow them access the portals tgat the agents are being shafted every month has pretty much been killing letting fees over the last 10 years.
Good luck to him I say. A shame this level of investment wasn’t available when Paul and Lewis were in charge of the company. Both class acts who would have ensured the money was invested wisely and protected the growth strategy. Hopefully the new man In charge has more than door knocking up his sleeve
With only 4 on the market and in one place and having to work there the poor guy