Leaders Estate Agents – A Review

Selling, buying, or letting a property can be stressful. But it can also be extremely rewarding. Whether you’re looking for your dream home or want to dabble in property investments, Leaders can help. 

Leaders is a huge brand. They’ve got a large team behind them and an array of services. But are they right for you? Check out our review and stats on the company below.

At a Glance

We know most of our readers are busy people… so here’s a quick breakdown of how we see Leaders.

Impressive Leaders Statistics

Not only does Leaders offer countless services for property investors, homeowners, renters, and tenants but they have the experience and statistics to back them up. Here are a few figures that help paint a clear picture of what Leaders are about.

• A 4.6 customer satisfaction rating on Google
• 6,815 home sales just last year
• Over 125 branches across the UK
• 4,000 new registered buyers every month
• Over 21,500 landlords let using the platform
• 13,824 valuations were performed last year

Reviews

One of the best ways to find out more about a property estate agency is to read customer reviews. This includes reviews from both former and current clients. Below is a summary of what the near 5,000 reviews state.

• Excellent customer service
• Hands-on support and guidance for new landlords
• Smooth, quick, and efficient sales process
• Flexible and knowledgeable agents
• Timely responses and thorough communication
• Agents provide a large pool of suitable tenants

A Brief History

Let’s take a look at how it all began. One of the largest independent residential property groups in the UK, Leaders currently has nearly 130 branches specializing in sales, lettings, and buy-to-let investment properties. 

Founded in 1983 by Neville Lee OBE, Leaders started as a single branch located in Brighton. Over the next several decades, the company expanded and earned the reputation of providing first-class customer service. What started as rapid expansion throughout the South of England soon led to continued growth in countless towns and cities across the UK.  As of this writing, Leaders now has branches in London, across the South East, in East Anglia, the North West, and the Midlands.

In 2016, Leaders merged with a sister company, Romans, combining both agencies’ experience and expertise in letting and selling new and established homes, offering mortgage advice, and more. After this collaboration, the company changed its name to become Leaders Romans Group and was backed by Platinum Equity, a leading private equity firm in the area. This Group now grosses an annual revenue of over £100m and boasts over 125 branches across the UK. 

Even as the agency continues to grow, customer service levels based on reviews, seem high. Although their letting agent fees are higher than average, Leaders have exceptional, in-depth knowledge of the local area and property market. It’s this pulse on the local market that gives Leaders a leg up on the competition. Every branch location is staffed with qualified, professional, and knowledgeable local agents that deliver high-quality results and again, know about the local shifts in the property market,

Leaders is member of several professional organizations including The Property Ombudsman, the NAEA, and the ARLA. 

Other Important Facts About Leaders

In addition to their amazing customer service, years of experience, and professionalism, Leaders’ agents also place great importance on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). While many online estate agents enter the market, including Strike & Purplebricks, Leaders are still holding the flag for traditional estates firmly high.

Environmental

Leaders places great importance on sustainability and the company’s impact on the environment. The agency celebrated being carbon neutral for 2 years running in 2022 and 2023, 8 years before its 2030 target. In order to reach this goal, Leaders made significant company-wide changes and upgrades, including:

• Encouraging remote work
• Going paperless
• Transferring offices to renewable energy
• Planting trees for every property that’s sold or let
• Using recycled for sale and let boards
• Launching a zero-to-landfill initiative

Social

Without an amazing staff, Leaders couldn’t offer the top-notch customer service it’s become known for. Leaders ensures that their staff feels supported and appreciated by providing meditation sessions, mental health first aiders, well-being seminars, and employee assistance programs. 

Leaders also embodies and embraces diversity, inclusion, and equality. The company offers an internal training course for all employees and guarantees that every staff member is given the same opportunities. All staff is treated with respect and encouraged to speak up if they experience or witness discrimination of any kind. 

Leaders wants staff members to feel like part of the family. When agents come on board at any of Leaders branches, it should be viewed as a long-term career, not just a job. Leaders’ career frameworks guarantee that every staff member knows and understands the job requirements and what it takes to be promoted. The company also hosts quarterly award ceremonies and achievement and promotion announcements in the weekly newsletter. 

Leaders’ reach extends beyond the walls of their branch offices and into the community as well. Many branches support local charities, while the head office makes a charitable donation to a local food bank every year. Leaders also donates to MacMillan Cancer Support and hosts annual fundraisers to help raise money.

But why should you care about this stuff?

A happy staff member is likely going to perform better at their job (which helps your property) and stay at the company long term.

Corporate Governance 

Leaders has special plans in place to ensure that daily business is never disrupted and that clients are never affected. This includes a protective approach to risk management, major investments in cyber security, and constant safety checks for potential threats and risks. 

Leaders takes customer privacy and protection very seriously, which is why the company also has extensive data protection policies and a dedicated in-house data protection team. As regulations in the world of property management and the industry as a whole continue to change, Leaders remains proactive. This ensures that all agents and clients are safe and compliant and that every transaction runs smoothly.  

Services Provided by Leaders

While letting is Leaders primary niche, the agency offers a variety of other property services including buying, selling, and helping tenants find rental properties. Here’s a closer look at how each service works when you work with one of the best!

Letting

Let’s start with Leaders “bread and butter” service – letting properties across the UK. Whether you’re an accidental landlord, a property investor, or are just looking to rent out a single room or home, Leaders can help. 

Leaders offers everything from free valuations (both in person and online) and rent collection to fully managed services. Three of Leaders’ most popular services are let-only, rent collection, and fully managed services. Depending on your need, you can choose an individual service or a combination that fits your budget.

The let-only option is designed for hands-on landlords that plan to be involved in the daily operations of their rental properties. This means that while you maintain the property, Leaders works to find and reference suitable, responsible tenants to fill your vacancies. 

Dealing directly with tenants and collecting rent can be stressful for some landlords. If this describes you, then Leaders’ rent collection services can help. This package includes not just finding and referencing tenants but also rent collection. No more fighting with your tenants for past due rent or delivering eviction notices. Leaders’ agents will take care of all the dirty work for you. 

Being a landlord or property manager takes a lot of time and effort. It can also be incredibly stressful. If you want to get involved in property investment without the daily hassle of managing a property, you can take advantage of Leaders’ fully managed services. This package includes everything from tenant referencing and rent collection to repairs, maintenance, and filing of all the necessary paperwork. With fully managed services, you’re landlord by name only. Leaders’ experienced agents will ensure that the rental process runs smoothly, you get paid, and your property is protected and well-maintained. 

Leaders offers a simple 10-step process to letting your property, which looks something like this:

1. Request a property valuation
2. Choose the right service for your needs and budget
3. Find reliable tenants
4. Schedule and arrange viewings
5. Negotiate and agree on a final offer
6. Perform credit and background checks plus tenant referencing
7. Sign a tenancy agreement
8. Take inventory of the property
9. Collect the deposit
10. Hand over the keys!

Renting

Every good rental property needs a reliable tenant. If you’re the second part of this equation, Leaders can help you find quality rental properties that are within your budget and desired location. Leaders lists the most recent and popular properties, flats, and houses in a given area. The website’s convenient search tool makes it easy to find numerous properties to choose from and an experienced agent to facilitate the process.

Leaders also offers a variety of services to both first-time renters and experienced tenants. These include a No Deposit Option for those working within a certain budget and legal advice through the company’s Legal Helpline.

Buy a Property

If you’re ready to settle down and buy a property, there’s no better estate agency than Leaders to help you every step of the way. From the website’s convenient search tool to the simple 8-step process, finding and securing your dream home has never been easier.

1. Determine your buying budget
2. Start your property search on Leaders
3. Take a closer look at the properties you like
4. Find the right conveyancer for your purchase
5. Make an offer
6. Request and schedule a building survey, or HomeBuyer report
7. Make mortgage arrangements
8. Sign and exchange contracts and finalize the sale

Sell a Property

Many property owners need to sell their current residence before they can purchase or rent a new one. Selling a home you’ve lived in for years can be emotional and difficult. From setting the right price to hosting viewings and completing all the necessary paperwork, most homeowners need help. 

The Group offers virtual and in-person home valuations, giving owners flexibility.

Leaders approach to selling every property using two main methods – the traditional way or at auction.

The traditional method involves listing your home on the website and other property portals where potential buyers can request and schedule viewings. Leaders works to match your property with suitable, serious buyers. Your agent will host viewings and open houses for maximum exposure. 

The other option is to sell your property at auction. Homes sold at auction usually sell faster and generate a higher price. Leaders online auctions offer all the same benefits of a live auction without the high-stakes pressure of bidding in person.

Some benefits of using this approach include:

• A potential sale within 4 weeks
• Nationwide exposure and promotion of your property
• All bids are public
• Contracts are signed and exchanged on the day of the auction

Should you pick them?

Moving, renting, and letting can all be stressful and complicated processes. But with the right estate agents on your side, it can be an enjoyable, smooth transition. Whether you’re a landlord, tenant, or property owner, Leaders has a service to fit your needs and budget. With over 30 years of experience and over 125 branches across the UK, you can rest easy knowing Leaders has your best interests in mind.

DISCLAIMER

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Rentround and are based on publicly available information. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by Leaders/LRG. Please note that Rentround may have marketing arrangements with some of the agents reviewed on our platform