In this article, we’ll break down how much landlords are spending, why it doesn’t have to be that way, and how a simple, professional website can help you cut out the middleman and fill your properties faster – without the unnecessary cost.
The Hidden Cost of Letting Agents
For most landlords, using a commercial letting agent has become the default option. But have you ever stopped to work out exactly how much you’re paying?
On average, a commercial letting agent in the UK will charge around 7.5% to 10% of the annual rent just to find a tenant. If you’re paying for ongoing property management too, you can expect to part with 12% to 15% of your monthly rent — sometimes even higher in London or the South East.
These percentages might sound small, but they quickly add up.
Let’s look at an example:
You own a small portfolio of commercial properties. One of your units rents for £2,000 per month — that’s £24,000 per year.
A typical letting agent will charge around 7.5% of the annual rent to find a tenant.
That’s £1,800 every time the unit is re-let.
If the tenant stays for three years, great. But if you’re regularly turning units over every 12 to 18 months (which isn’t uncommon), those fees mount up quickly.
Let’s say you let 5 units per year and pay the same 7.5% agent fee each time:
| Units Let Per Year | Annual Rent (Per Unit) | Agent Fee (7.5%) | Total Agent Fees Per Year |
| 5 | £24,000 | £1,800 | £9,000 |
That’s £9,000 per year – money straight out of your profits.
And we’re using conservative estimates here. Many landlords will be paying much more.
Why Keep Paying So Much When You Could Take Control?
One of the biggest myths in commercial property letting is that you have to use an agent for everything. You don’t. Agents have a lot to offer, of course, but you have options.
The reality is, a big chunk of what letting agents do to advertise your properties is putting them on websites like Rightmove – places your tenants are already looking. You could do that yourself. But even better, you could market your properties directly to prospective tenants without relying on third-party websites at all.
This is where a dedicated commercial landlord website changes the game.
How a Simple Website Can Save You Thousands
At Recast Digital, we’ve built a website package specifically for commercial landlords who want to:
- Reduce expensive agents
- Keep control of their lettings
- Fill empty units faster
- Spend less time on admin
Here’s how it works:
- List your available properties clearly and professionally
Each property has its own page with photos, key details, and an enquiry form. - Automatic branded brochures
The website automatically generates a professional PDF brochure for every property – no more messing around with Word documents or waiting for agents to send something over. - Easy tenant enquiries
Prospective tenants can enquire directly via your website, straight to your inbox. - Build a mailing list of potential tenants
People can sign up for alerts when new properties become available.
All of this is delivered as a simple, cost-effective package — a one-off fee of £3,000 + VAT, plus an ongoing hosting and support fee of £385 + VAT per year.
You’ll recoup that cost many times over by saving on agent fees alone.
But What About The Hassle?
The most common objection we hear from landlords is:
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
That’s exactly why we’ve made this process as simple and straightforward as possible.
You provide the property information and images, and have a couple of short conversations with us, we do the rest. Typically your website will be live within 4 weeks of content supply, ready to start saving you money and cutting out unnecessary admin.
The Key Takeaways
If you’re a landlord paying thousands of pounds a year in agent fees, you’re not alone. It’s the standard way things have been done – but that doesn’t mean it’s the smartest.
With a simple, well-built website, you can:
- Reduce your costs
- Fill your units faster
- Keep control of your lettings process
- Save time with automated brochures and enquiries
You’ll also look more professional and credible to tenants, staff, and contractors.
Recast Digital
We’re a website design company in Hertfordshire, working with businesses across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and London. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to deliver your next website – on time, on budget, and without the usual stress – let’s talk.