Written by
David Ramirez
Published on
Jan 9, 2026
Landlords don’t move agents because they fancy a change. They move when the service feels uncertain: updates are patchy, outcomes are inconsistent, and they’re not confident you’re in control.
Winning more landlords is a mix of three things:
a clear offer,
believable proof,
a pipeline you can run every week.
This is a practical playbook to do all three.
1) Start with a sharp offer (most agents sound identical)
Most agencies describe themselves with the same words: “full management”, “great service”, “local experts”. Landlords can’t tell you apart, so they default to fee and convenience.
You need a one-line offer that’s specific enough to be remembered.
A simple formula:
We help [type of landlord] get [outcome] without [pain].
Examples (pick one style and make it true operationally):
“We help busy professionals keep their rentals running smoothly without chasing contractors or tenants.”
“We help overseas landlords protect yield without surprises, with clear reporting and proactive compliance.”
“We help portfolio landlords reduce voids and arrears without operational headaches.”
Package it into 3 tiers (clarity beats creativity)
Don’t invent gimmicks. Create clean tiers with clear boundaries.
Typical structure
Let Only: marketing, viewings, referencing, tenancy setup
Fully Managed: rent collection, tenant comms, compliance reminders, routine issue handling
Premium / Hands-Off: tighter comms standards, faster escalation, more frequent reporting, proactive checks
The key: publish your service standards.
Response times (to tenants and landlords)
Reporting cadence (monthly/quarterly)
Approval rules (spend thresholds)
Inspection frequency
Arrears process (what happens on day 1, 3, 7, 14)
Landlords relax when it’s obvious what “good management” looks like.
2) Proof beats promises (build a small library of trust)
Most agents try to persuade. Better agents demonstrate.
You don’t need a 40-page brochure. You need proof that maps to landlord priorities.
Build 3 mini case studies
Keep them short and specific. One page each.
Template
Property type + area (anonymised)
Problem (voids, rent level, tenant quality, arrears, compliance mess, takeover)
Action (what you actually did)
Result (numbers)
Landlord-friendly metrics
Days to let / void reduction
Rent achieved vs market / rent increases secured
Renewal rate
Arrears reduced / time to recover
Portfolio takeover completed in X days
Compliance issues resolved with timeline
Collect reviews that say something real
Don’t chase “Great service!”. Prompt for outcomes:
“What did we take off your plate?”
“What improved after you switched?”
“What was the difference in communication/reporting?”
Proof shortens sales cycles and reduces fee sensitivity.
3) Own a niche (even if you don’t want to be “a niche agency”)
You don’t have to serve only one type of landlord, but you do need a clear “we’re particularly good at…” angle.
Pick one or two you can credibly win:
HMOs / student lets
Overseas landlords
High-end single lets
Professional house shares
Accidentally-landlords (first-time renters)
Portfolio landlords (5–50 properties)
Niches make your marketing sharper:
your content becomes specific,
your scripts become convincing,
your proof becomes relevant.
If you try to speak to everyone, you sound like everyone.
4) Build the local authority engine (the boring part that prints leads)
Landlord acquisition is local. “Trust” is local. Google is local.
Do the basics properly, consistently.
Your Google Business Profile should target landlords, not just tenants
Post weekly (market updates, compliance reminders, rental demand snapshots)
Ask for reviews from landlords with managed properties
Add service areas and consistent categories
Build a handful of pages that answer landlord questions in your patch
These are high-intent, low-fluff pages that convert:
“Letting agent for landlords in [Area]”
“Renting out a property in [Area]: what to know”
“Selective licensing / HMO licensing in [Council] (plain-English guide)”
“How much does property management cost in [Area] (and what you get)”
Keep these factual. Don’t pad them. Landlords can smell filler.
5) Build a landlord pipeline that doesn’t rely on portals
Portals are a channel. They’re not a pipeline you control.
A simple pipeline has three buckets:
A) Warm reactivation (highest conversion)
Your CRM is usually full of “dead leads” that are only dead because nobody followed up properly.
Pull lists for:
valuations (won + lost) from the last 24 months
“lost on fee” valuations (they churn later)
sales clients who mentioned renting
landlords you manage who may have more properties
past landlords who went self-managed
A reactivation message that gets replies (WhatsApp/SMS)
Hi [Name] — it’s [You] at [Agency]. Quick one: are you still using an agent for [Area], or did you end up self-managing? Happy to share a quick rent view for [Area] if helpful.
Follow-up (2–3 days later)
No rush — I can also give you a quick “reduce voids” plan for your property type in [Area]. Want me to send it?
Run this weekly. It compounds.
B) Partner channels (trust transfers)
Partners who advise landlords can be your most consistent source:
mortgage brokers (BTL)
accountants
solicitors / conveyancers
surveyors
relocation agents
Make it operational, not vague.
Partner outreach (email/LinkedIn)
Hi [Name] — I run lettings/management at [Agency] in [Area]. We’re building a small group of partners who occasionally need a reliable agency for landlord clients (rent view, compliance overview, management setup). If useful, happy to be a quick resource — and I’ll always keep you in the loop on outcomes.
Then define what happens after an intro:
response time
what you send
how quickly you can book a call
how you report back to the partner
Partners refer to people who make them look good.
C) Targeted outbound (only works if it’s specific)
Outbound isn’t spam if it’s genuinely relevant.
Pick a narrow segment and offer a concrete insight:
“Overseas landlords in [Area]”
“HMOs around [University]”
“Portfolio landlords with properties sat empty”
“Landlords with listings that are weakly positioned”
Outbound message that doesn’t feel salesy
Hi [Name] — noticed your property in [Area] is marketed at £X. Based on nearby lets we’ve done recently, you could likely either: (a) let faster by adjusting the first 10 days’ strategy, or (b) push rent slightly higher with a couple of positioning changes. If you want, I can send a quick rent/void view for [Area] — no obligation.
Track outcomes, not activity:
replies
calls booked
valuations booked
instructions won
6) Nail the valuation conversation (where wins actually happen)
A landlord valuation call is not a feature tour. It’s a confidence transfer.
Use a consistent structure:
Their goal: yield, capital growth, hands-off, tenant quality
Their pain: voids, arrears, poor comms, compliance stress, bad tenants
Your plan: marketing strategy + tenant selection + management standard
Proof: one relevant case study (not five)
Next step: timeline + what you need + takeover plan
A strong closing question
If we could make this feel hands-off and keep you updated without you chasing, is there any reason you wouldn’t switch?
It surfaces the real objection (fee, trust, hassle, timing) so you can handle it.
7) Make switching easy (portfolio takeovers win deals)
A lot of landlords don’t switch because it sounds painful.
Create a clear takeover plan you can explain in 30 seconds:
timeframe (7–14 days)
what you handle (notices, tenant comms, docs, keys)
what you need (tenancy docs, compliance certificates, deposit info)
what changes for tenants (reassurance, how to report issues, who to contact)
When switching feels easy, “I’ll think about it” becomes “let’s do it.”
8) Retention is the hidden growth lever (and cheapest)
Winning landlords is good. Keeping them is where profit lives — and where referrals come from.
A retention system is not complicated; it’s just consistent.
Baseline retention standards
predictable reporting cadence (monthly or quarterly)
rent reviews done on time
proactive compliance reminders
clear escalation rules (“what happens if it’s urgent?”)
visible control of issues (status, updates, close-out)
Landlords stay when they feel:
informed,
protected,
and like you’re on top of it.
Where maintenance fits
Landlords rarely leave for one reason. They leave when overall confidence erodes: communication, control, and clarity.
Maintenance is a factor because it’s a frequent “moment of truth”:
tenants get emotional,
costs are involved,
and delays create noise.
If maintenance feels slow or unreliable, it makes everything else feel unreliable too.
What “good” looks like at a high level:
issues captured properly first time (so you’re not chasing)
clear updates without landlords/tenants prompting
cost control with sensible approval rules
a clean record if anything is disputed
Where Lanten fits: Lanten helps agencies make that part of the service more consistent by structuring tenant requests via WhatsApp/email, keeping communication tidy, and creating a clear audit trail — so your overall management feels more reliable at scale.
Try for free, or book a demo with our team at https://lanten.ai/
