A lettings agent comparison website is urging firms to adapt their working patterns and listings to ensure they are meeting the needs of landlords.

Rentround, which lets landlords search for and compare local lettings agents, has analysed data from 35,000 users of its website to provide insights into their characteristics & behaviours.

It found Mondays, Fridays and Sundays are the most likely days of the week when landlords are conducting their search and timings peak at 3pm.

There is still a lot of activity at after 5pm, it said.

Rentround said: “The time that landlords run searches is important.

“Similar to the days searches are run, the data pinpoints when you should be available to talk to leads.

“It is not always that simple as there are appointments & valuations to manage.

“You will need to compare how expensive it is to run out of hours compared to income received from leads being converted during those times.”

The main service landlords want is full management followed by help finding tenants and getting guaranteed rent, Rentround said.

The majority of landlords are searching for traditional high street lettings agents, at 45%, while 35% were seeking online agents and 20% were happy to select both.

Additionally, 60% prefer to pay a one-fee to agents for finding a tenant, according to the research.

Most, 58%, are searching for an agent via a mobile device with 33% on a desktop so Rentround said firms should ensure their website is optimised for mobile.

Rentround said: “The device your target market is using to access your letting agency or property manager website is key.

“It goes without saying most online activity is now done on mobile phones.

“This adds additional importance to ensure letting agents & property managers are ensuring their sites are optimised for mobile.

“This would include the avoidance of large images, long pieces of text and difficult navigation menus.

“Users on mobile devices are also less patient. Therefore site loading times should be minimised.”