Featured Agent: Speirs Gumley Residential Letting Ltd

This week we are shining the spotlight on Speirs Gumley Residential Letting. We spoke to their Director of Residential Letting, Robert Nixon to find out more.

Q1. Tell us a little about yourself, your business, and what kind of properties you handle

My name is Robert Nixon and I am the Director of Residential Letting for Speirs Gumley. Our lettings business has been established for over 25 years and our 9 strong residential letting team have a combined property experience of over 120 years.

We have offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh allowing us to cover a large geographical area of the country for our clients, dealing with single property landlords right through to large investment funds. What a landlord or tenant says about our business matters to us and, as clichéd as it sounds, we spend a lot of time and effort focussing on the quality of service to make us stand out from the competition.

Above all we pledge to deliver a personal and professional service that people will talk about and pass on to their friends and family. It still remains the best form of advertising.

Q2. What made you get into the property business?

The calling of the property sector was inevitable; my dad ran a very successful building company and my sister is an Adjudicator with the RICS in Scotland and the Confederation of Construction Specialists, so you could say property is in the blood.

Speirs Gumley has been around for over 180 years and holds onto it’s traditional values of honesty and trust, but has a forward-thinking and modern approach, investing in the latest technology; such as mobile apps to allow clients to report repairs and transact online, to ensure our clients always get the best possible experience.

Q3. What is your favourite property you’ve had?

It would be hard to pick out my favourite one as we manage such a variety of excellent properties throughout Scotland, I do like a property that has a good view of one our great cities – for example we are currently marketing a penthouse apartment on the banks of the river Clyde which has fantastic views of the city.

Q4. What’s the best thing about the area you operate in?

Operating in vibrant cities of both Glasgow and Edinburgh allows us to interact with a very diverse customer demographic. The cities generally offer high standard of property to let; many of the properties are close to green space – even within city centres – and the variety of people, places to go and things to do attracts students and professionals from all around the world.

Q5. What advice would you give to someone looking for a rental property?

I am asked this question a lot of the time. The sector is becoming increasingly regulated and for a Tenant I would say that it still is all about doing your homework; here are a few keys things to look for.

Check that the letting agent is part of an affiliated industry body which will give you peace of mind that they are following a strict code of practice. Your agent should be a members of the Council of Letting Agent (CLA) or the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). Speirs Gumley are members of both.
Make sure the letting agent is partnered with a deposit protection scheme
Research the area you are looking to rent in, walk round during the day and in the evening, look into transport links, schooling, local amenities and don’t be scared to ask the letting agent these questions as they should know the area they operate in better than anyone else.

Q6. What did you do before you got into this business?

I have been part of the property industry for almost half of my life, so it is difficult to remember what life was like before property.

Q7. What would be a good night out in your area?

In Glasgow the Merchant City is still a huge draw with an abundance of bars and restaurants and importantly, good transport links to get you home. You should also try the up and coming new spots around Finnieston.

In Edinburgh it has to be the Old Town where you will find plenty of nightlife on the winding streets as well as great views, fantastic shops and entertainment all year round.

Click here to view Speirs Gumley Residential Letting on Lettingweb.com.

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