Clan Gordon Letting Agents Staff Spotlight – Euan Rodgers, Lettings Manager
Euan Rodgers is Edinburgh born and raised and has worked for Clan Gordon for five years.
In his role as Lettings Manager, Euan performs a variety of tasks and functions and his workload is different every day. After mapping out his week in terms of people moving in and out of properties, he organises viewings and sifts through applications from prospective tenants to present to our landlords.
Lettings Administrators Carrie Morrison and Malin Howard report directly to Euan and help with the many different aspects on the organisational side – including reference checking, tracking down keys and arranging viewings.
Euan says: “It’s a very busy job, there never seems to be a quiet period. It used to be the case that summer was the really busy time and it would calm down for the rest of the year but it doesn’t seem to be like that anymore, we’re busy all year round. Not that I’m complaining!”
Euan’s role also involves dealing with landlords who are looking to re-let their property and advising on where a refurb might be necessary or where a new carpet or redecoration might help them attract tenants.
And while most of Euan’s work is positive, he also occasionally has to deal with the negative – telling unsuspecting tenants they will need to leave a property because the landlord is looking to sell up is a task he describes as ‘part and parcel of the job’.
What Euan’s role involves as Lettings Manager
Clan Gordon’s Business Development Manager Hannah Doig is the first person most new landlords see and she ascertains whether or not it’s a property we are happy to take on. We only work with landlords who are committed to upholding high standards in their property and who appreciate the value of delivering a good service to tenants. Once it’s confirmed the landlord is coming on and we are happy that the property abides by the necessary legislation, Euan snaps into action.
The property goes on the market and Euan will being reaching out to prospective tenants to book in viewings. He meets with them at their viewing and goes over the basics such as how long they’re intending to stay and when they would be able to move in.
He then sends out applications from the viewings and passes them to the landlord when they come back in, along with his recommendation on who the most suitable candidates are.
The landlord then selects their preferred tenant and reference checks – including a credit check, a reference from a previous landlord and an employee reference where applicable – are made.
The property is cleaned and an inventory prepared and then it’s all systems go!
Euan said: “I’m meeting up to 20 people a day from all different backgrounds and walks of life from young students going into their professional careers to retirees looking for somewhere to live.
“It’s good to get such a broad range of perspectives from people, I think it is really handy to have that in this line of work.”
‘Edinburgh is a hotbed for letting properties’
Euan diligently handles his administrative tasks alongside his other responsibilities, all while navigating Edinburgh’s rampaging popularity as a rental market.
Euan said: “I think Edinburgh classically is a bit of a hotbed for letting properties. Edinburgh Festival always leads to a massive surge in enquiries and we’ve four universities so that means literally thousands of students coming into the city looking for somewhere to live.
“But there’s been an influx of people moving specifically to Edinburgh to live. Post-Covid, people can work from anywhere and we’ve noticed people coming in from France, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as up from London.
“Their rationale is simple – why would they pay an exorbitant rent in London when they could live in Edinburgh? It’s more relaxed, you can get a little bit more for your money, there’s green spaces all around. I think London is fantastic but it’s more of a metropolis, which isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.”
Another factor adding to Euan’s workload is a change to laws on short-term rentals in Scotland, which took effect in October 2023. From that point, it became necessary for new hosts to apply for a short-term let licence before accepting bookings or receiving guests.
The expense and insecurity of that process has led to a lot of short-term landlords either selling up or, more commonly, moving to long-term rentals, which means extra work for Euan and the team.
Euan added: “The change has meant some new business for us, which is fantastic. It’s great for tenants and just generally people who are living in Edinburgh or moving here as there seems to be a lot more properties on the market now.”
Keeping on top of ever-changing property letting legislation
One of Euan’s key responsibilities is ensuring landlords are abiding by the copious – and ever-changing – amounts of legislation in place to protect tenants.
Some people fall into the role of landlord ‘accidentally’ – for example if a parent has passed away and they find themselves taking over as landlord – and it can be daunting to come to terms with the amount of work that needs to be done to bring a property up to code.
Euan said: “There’s a lot of things I think people have no idea are even factors. There’s a set of six or seven safety certificates you have to have before a tenant can move in, if you have a house in multiple occupation there’s even more.
“But we’re clued up on everything that comes out as soon as it’s released and we’re updating landlords all the time. It is always coming in thick and fast, but at the end of the day, it’s always in the interests of safety.”
Clan Gordon’s role as property manager for our landlords means we take care of as many of these legal obligations as we can on behalf of our landlords to ensure letting a property doesn’t feel a burden for them.
Quickfire Q&A with Euan
What’s the perfect scenario for you to walk into with a new landlord?
“Some landlords are really clued up and they’ll have safety certificates in and ready to go, they’ve sorted out their landlord registration, have a nice sofa, a good bed, it’s clean, maybe new flooring and decoration, as well. Ideally, they’ll have a type of person in mind who they would like to rent to and a figure in mind for what they’re looking to achieve rent-wise. So I think if you find somebody who’s reasonable and they have a good expectation of what goes into letting out a property and what they’re looking for, you click straight away and it’s really good.”
And where do prospective landlords typically go wrong?
“Accidental or first-time landlords sometimes want to get the rent coming in ASAP and we sometimes see things they should have done beforehand to make the place more desirable. A historical leak for example can start off small but become a massive issue that can cost thousands of pounds to put right. So, we’d always encourage those issues to be ironed out before they turn into something bigger. We inspect initially and then re-inspect after six months of tenancy just to ensure they’re looking after the property as they should be so we’re always on top of any problems.”
Do you ever have to manage landlord expectations in terms of the rent they are likely to achieve?
“That happens quite a lot, especially with landlords who have come over from the short-term market to the long-term. They will typically have to spend some money on things like smoke alarms to get their property compliant so they want to maximise the money they can claw back from that. For us, we would much rather have a good long-term tenant in who’s going to pay a decent market rent than somebody who comes in for three months, pays over the odds and wrecks the place because they’re not bothered about getting their deposit back. We’re always happy to test the market and try a little bit higher if we’ve got a really good refurbished flat that’s all very high spec. And if there’s no interest, we can bring the rent down after a week or so.”
What happens if a tenant falls behind on their rent?
“That’s a question many of our landlords ask and we’re lucky in that we have very minimal arrears – currently zero – so it’s not one we have to get into very often. We’ve worked with tenants and landlords to ensure the arrears we do have in the past are being paid back as well so the horror stories you hear about tenants not paying for six months are not a factor for Clan Gordon. We’re held in high regard because our reference process and our background checks are very thorough.”
How do you go about serving notice on tenants when they’re not expecting it?
“It can be a horrible conversation and is probably the worst thing about my job but thankfully it happens very rarely. There is always a risk to the tenant but it’s usually the last resort for a landlord to serve notice and they’ll only do it when they’re moving back in or selling the place. We’ll always talk the tenant through it, give them time to understand what’s happening, answer their questions and offer them a similar property if we’ve got one on the market. But it can be an emotional conversation. I think the way we do it is the best way it can probably be done. I’ve heard of some people who received an email telling them they need to be out by a certain day but we give people that chance to chat it through and maybe vent a little bit. I’m happy to accept it as part of the job, it can’t be sunshine and rainbows all the time.”
How did you get into this line of work?
“After school, I started studying sports science at university but it wasn’t for me and I left and got a job at another property agency. I then went to university in Florida for a couple of years on a football scholarship and studied business management. It was fantastic life experience and I met some wonderful people. When I came home, I realised I had enjoyed working in property so went back to the firm I’d worked at before, then to another property agency and then landed at Clan Gordon. I’ve been here five years now and it’s by far and away the best job I’ve had.”
Your work sounds satisfying but exhausting!
“It can be relentless – just viewing properties and constantly talking to people – and even just answering an eclectic mix of questions, some of which I never expected to be asked! But it’s exhausting in a good way. I really like my job. I really like the people I work with and the vast majority of the time I really like the people that I meet every day.”
What sets Clan Gordon apart from its competitors?
“We’re very fair and reasonable and we look at tenant and landlord in the same way. I think sometimes with agencies there’s a hierarchy when it comes to dealing with those parties but we treat everybody as they would want to be treated. Our attention to detail and customer service definitely play a big part in the fantastic reviews we get, from tenants as well as landlords. Even landlords who have only been with us for a year or so are recommending us, which is great to see. We’re all very friendly and get on well and that cohesion definitely helps us.”
You come across as very cheerful and upbeat – is that part of your professional persona or were you like that before? And do you need that in your line of work?
“I think if you ask any of my friends or my family, I think they would probably say that I was like that before – to an extreme extent as well! They would tell me to shut up so they could get a word in edgeways. But again I think it’s a good quality to have to be able to do my job. You never know who you’re going to be speaking to next, someone quiet or a chatterbox like me so I think you need to be a bit of a chameleon in that sense. But everyone at Clan Gordon is like that and we all get on really well. It’s always a very light, positive atmosphere. Having a cheerful disposition and a positive outlook is so important. At some point you need to be a bit of an optimist and believe things will go well and if something goes wrong, you need to be thinking what you can do to rectify it.”
How did you learn your trade?
“When I first started in property, I was the office junior and didn’t know anything about anything. I was asking questions constantly and I know people found that annoying! I was very interested and curious about how everything worked. I worked in maintenance, going out in the van to do handyman work and I was a property manager for a little bit, so I have been able to build up a broad range of knowledge about everything that goes into the job. I’m not an expert on everything, I do definitely make mistakes now and again but everybody does. It’s an unavoidable part of working but as long as you’re looking at yourself and asking how you can avoid doing that again then you’ll be OK.”
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
“Walking into a flat with someone, immediately being able to tell that they love it, going through the application process with them and then being able to tell them that they’ve been accepted for it and they’ll be able to stay there for a long time. Seeing how happy they are is a real thrill because a home is a home whether it’s rented or owned and it’s a safe, cosy place for them to relax after a bad day.”
“Just recently we had a tenant leaving a Clan Gordon property and they came to us and said they were not looking at any other agents or platforms for their next home, they just wanted to know if we had any other flats. They moved into one of our other flats last week. They were so delighted with the service they’d had from us that they didn’t even want to try another agent. That was such a positive thing for them to do, they’ve trusted us with their home and essentially their life.”
If you could make one change to the industry, what would it be?
I’d make it impossible for people to be late! I absolutely hate it, the bane of my life waiting for people who are late! If you’re early, you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late and if you’re late, dont bother!!
Where do you think the rental market will be in five years?
“I think the only way is up for Edinburgh. The city centre is still a hub for young professionals and there’s a diverse range of people coming in and I can’t see that changing. Everything’s got better in Edinburgh in recent years, public transport’s improved with the introduction of the tram and it’s just a beautiful, great big city. I think people who visit end up wanting to stay which is fantastic and I can’t see anything but good things happening to the rental market over the next five years.”
And where do you see yourself in five years?
“Well unless somebody offers me £100million a year to sit on a beach and drink beer I think I’ll still be here at Clan Gordon. I can’t imagine me going anywhere else or doing anything else. The people I work with are fantastic, the job is great and it changes every day. The mix of office work, being out and about meeting people and working a bit from home is perfect for me and I hope I am still here in five years, plugging along.”
If you have a property to let in Edinburgh and are looking for a letting agent to take the hassle out of letting for you, schedule a call with our business development team today.