How to Choose a Letting Agent: 20 Questions for Landlords
By Simon Bacon |
Created on 28th August 2026
How do you choose a letting agent? Most landlords decide on fee percentage and a gut feeling about the person who turned up to the valuation. Both are the wrong place to start.
In this episode Simon Bacon and Ian Sadler work through the 20 questions every landlord should ask before handing over their property: what a letting agent actually does day to day, the real difference between let-only and fully managed, why the quickest tenant is rarely the right tenant, what a proper referencing process includes, how to judge fees against value, and the one warning sign that should end a conversation with an agent early.
Simon runs a lettings agency, so he has an obvious interest in this topic and says so on air. The answers are given straight anyway, including an honest take on whether agency fees are worth paying and why letting agent reviews are often read the wrong way round.
Simon Bacon is the owner of Preferential Properties, a lettings and sales agency serving Sutton Coldfield and North Birmingham with over 30 years in property management..
Since becoming Director of Preferential in May 2007, I’ve focused on creating a more tailored and client-focused property service. My experience covers property sales, residential lettings, buy-to-let investment guidance, and overseeing refurbishment projects for landlords. I’m passionate about continuously raising standards and pushing Preferential to deliver the best possible service.
