When people arrange to view our flats we always enquire where they saw us – it’s good marketing to know which channels are getting us found. As Lord Leverhulme (founder of Lever Bros. and Unilever) famously said “Half my advertising is wasted – but I don’t know which half!”.
The other day we had a lady come to view and the company that she mentioned as having advertised our flat wasn’t one that I have heard of, so intrigued I telephoned her to find out more. It transpires that a company has been advertising our flats, and then charging people £200 to give them our details for a viewing. Yes – the lady paid £200 for our phone number. We do put a few of our of cheaper flats with 3 agencies who charge tenants for flat finding, but these are reputable agencies that we have known and done business with for 15 years, and who make reasonable charges which last until the tenant has found a home.
I was prompted to write this article by finding our flats advertised on a website without our contact details, but a premium rate phone number for contact instead. I guess the website has to make it’s profits in some form, but it does make me wonder how it is that tenants can’t find good vacant flats in London without having to pay sometimes extortionate rates to an agent?
Obviously I need to write a tutorial on how to find a flat!
[…] to the 3 named agencies there are a number of bottom dwellers who shall remain nameless, but who feature in our series on Scams. If you want to know who they are – search […]
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