Estate agents across Shropshire are being warned they may have to change practices following new legislation introduced by the Prime Minister.
David Cameron has announced mandatory landlord licensing to raise standards in the industry – but it means some county practices could now fall short of requirements.
Kate Howell, of Woodhead Sales and Lettings in Oswestry, said her firm foresaw the change and worked towards it, but has warned others to check what it means for them.
She said: “We welcomed this part of the Prime Minister’s latest legislation because raising standards in the industry is a must.
“We at Woodheads have made a number of changes over the last few months to ensure we already comply.
“We have installed the latest management system and tenant contact technology – the technology-savvy tenant can now contact us 24 hours a day online to access immediate advice on common issues.
“They can even log a property issue in several languages.
“Using time wisely like this means the agent has more time to liaise with landlords to revise their investments – this is essential as the market is now in recovery and Oswestry particularly is an area of growth.
“Mandatory landlord licensing is a large part of this relationship the agent has with the landlord.”
The firm, based in Leg Street in Oswestry, is the only estate agent in the area to meet the high standards set by the Guild of Professional Estate Agents, and top industry trainers have also visited to ensure sales and lettings are working to their best potential
Kate, who established Woodhead Sales and Lettings in 2004 following a career at a corporate estate agent, said the hard work over the last few months has not only helped them comply with potential legislative changes at a national level – it has also won them praise.
Woodheads was named the 2015 Oswestry representative for the prestigious Guild of Professional Estate Agents and was shortlisted for the West Midlands Estate Agent of the year award at the Estate and Letting Agent (Esta) awards in April.
Kate added: “This is an exciting time for the industry, new builds are on the way, developers need to be advised about investment purchasers and investors need advice about securing the best deals.
“There is also a new Buy to Let product about to hit the market – this all contributes to better standards in the industry.
“We are now a one-stop-shop because of our skill base of property management departments, legal and accountancy relationships and work with the leading lenders.
“But this has taken a lot of work and investment, and people need to be wary of the new legislation coming in.”
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