"It is clear from this research that letting agents across the UK are delivering a consistently strong level of service in many key areas, particularly when it comes to professionalism, responsiveness, and the handling of maintenance issues"
- Sim Sekhon - Propoly
Most UK tenants rate their letting agent positively, but a significant minority still question whose side their agent is actually on, according to new research from Propoly.
The property technology firm surveyed 1,000 UK tenants to assess attitudes toward letting agents, and the headline numbers are largely encouraging. Over half rate their agent highly, with 24% describing them as 'good' and 28% as 'excellent'.
Professionalism scores tell a similar story: 56% rate their agent as either 'professional' (25%) or 'very professional' (31%).
Satisfaction also converts into advocacy. More than half say they are 'likely' (21%) or 'very likely' (31%) to recommend their agent to others, while 62% report receiving a response to queries within two days. A quarter receives a reply the same day.
Maintenance handling earns generally positive marks too, with 40% of tenants describing their agent's performance as adequate and a further 36% rating it as very good.
The picture is not uniformly positive, however. Nearly a third of tenants, 29%, say they have experienced maintenance issues being poorly managed, 22% report communication problems, and 21% say their queries have been ignored or handled too slowly.
The most telling finding may be around trust. Despite broadly positive service experiences, 30% of tenants do not believe their letting agent is working in their best interests, pointing to a gap between how agents perform and how they are perceived. Letting agent tenant satisfaction, it seems, is about more than just response times and maintenance.
"It is clear from this research that letting agents across the UK are delivering a consistently strong level of service in many key areas, particularly when it comes to professionalism, responsiveness, and the handling of maintenance issues," said Sim Sekhon, group CEO at Propoly. "These are essential pillars of a positive tenant experience and the sector should take confidence in these results."
"That said, there is always room for improvement," he added. "The findings show that perception matters just as much as performance, and agents must work harder to demonstrate that they are acting fairly and transparently for both landlords and tenants. While protecting a landlord's asset is of course a priority, building trust with tenants is equally important for long-term success and retention."
On the more encouraging side, serious disputes remain rare. Only 7% of tenants have ever escalated an issue through formal complaints, the ombudsman, or legal proceedings.
Sekhon said technology has a role to play in closing the gap. "At Propoly, we are committed to helping agents boost efficiency, streamline communication, improve transparency, and deliver a more balanced experience for all parties."
"By leveraging the right technology and processes, agents can not only address the pain points highlighted in this research but also strengthen relationships, enhance their reputation, and ultimately future-proof their business."
