Philipjames Avis 

Took my son looking for his first flat for a viewing
After calling the office before travelling over an hour to check the viewing was on we arrived and received an email with 6 minutes notice that it had been moved without discussion 3 and half hours later

After 20 minutes of calling and finally getting through were told this was definitely the case and the viewing was now 2pm instead of 10.30am

Upon returning for the 2pm viewing we noticed online that somehow applications had now been entered for the property and upon calling them discovered that there was now no 2pm Viewing and that they would look into where things had gone wrong.

Shambolic organisation and wasted time and money with no more than ‘I’m sorry about that’

Avoid at all costs

This is not an interpretation of discussions on the phone with them
(Despite being exceptionally difficult to get hold of, we have the emails from them messing us around)

I would like to leave personal feedback about my experience with the agency itself and feedback on one of Philip James' employees - Sophie Gao.

I have been renting the flat from the agency for 3 years. Being an international student, it makes it a bit difficult to find proper, affordable accommodation and a good attitude towards clients. My personal experience with Philip James was positive. I found the easy use of the website and app to be very helpful.

I believe that it is employees who make the difference in the industry, so in this case, I would like to separately highlight Mrs Sophie Gao.

During the 3 years Mrs. Sophie Gao as an employee of Philip James always assisted me in all. Her professional attitude and kindness played a key role in feeling clients comfortable, less nervous and patient. Separately, I would like to emphasize her communication. It is on an outstanding level, always quick, on time, and very informative. I would like to say many thanks to Mrs. S. Gao for her service and attitude. It is pleasant to communicate with her.

Avoid at All Costs – Dishonest, Unprofessional, and Exploitative

We had an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience renting a flat in the Didsbury area of Manchester through Philip James.

We were blamed for something that was never communicated to us: apparently, tenants are responsible for keeping the landlord’s items inside the locked apartment and not in the communal hallway. This was not written in the contract, nor was it ever mentioned verbally. When we asked for proof, they failed to provide any. How can tenants be held responsible for rules they were never made aware of?

To make matters worse, two chairs were thrown away by the Building Management, who claimed they had warned the landlords in advance that they would be removing furniture from communal areas. However, nobody informed us, the tenants. We were completely unaware, yet somehow held accountable.

Then, the agency tried to charge us £100 for one old chair, even though we provided proof that two brand new chairs cost only £70 in total. It’s hard not to feel that they were trying to take advantage of us in this situation. This behaviour felt dishonest, discriminatory, and deeply unfair.

Rather than clarifying the situation with Building Management or accepting any responsibility, Philip James simply pushed the blame onto us and responded with zero understanding or professionalism.

We would absolutely not recommend this agency to anyone. If you want to be treated fairly, honestly, and with basic respect – rent elsewhere. This experience left us feeling exploited, unsupported, and deeply disappointed.

A deeply unprofessional experience — wouldn’t recommend!

My experience with Philip James was marked by poor communication, pressure tactics, and a complete lack of transparency. From the outset, I was told by a sales representative, Broghan, that my offer would only be put forward to the vendor if I agreed to use their in-house broker — a condition that not only felt unethical, but also breaches FCA regulations and UK property law. I will be raising this concern with the Financial Conduct Authority.

Throughout the process, communication was inconsistent and dismissive. Emails were ignored, key details were mishandled — including errors in the sales memo — and crucial updates were either delayed or not communicated at all. There was a clear lack of internal coordination, which added unnecessary confusion and stress.

The final straw came when the vendor withdrew the offer without any prior warning, after I had already progressed with my mortgage application and instructed solicitors. This was communicated with zero accountability or empathy from the agency.

In hindsight, I’m relieved the sale didn’t go through. I later bought a property through JP & Brimlow and had a completely different experience — professional, transparent, and respectful from start to finish. I would strongly advise anyone to avoid Philip James if you’re looking for a fair and trustworthy property transaction.

Despite the fact there were a number of people attending the viewing, the estate agent (Titu) was very helpful and available to answer questions. The viewing was well organised and ran on time, which lead to a great overall experience.

Had a great viewing with Titu, who was easy to communicate with and very helpful when he guided us to the property and talked us through it. A welcoming experience as it’s my first time renting a non-student property.

Titu was great 👌top customer service. Super helpful and great properties.

Titu was incredibly helpful, professional, and efficient throughout the entire process. He communicated clearly, responded promptly to any questions, and made the experience of renting smooth and stress-free. I appreciated his honesty and dedication—definitely someone you can trust. Highly recommend!

Titu was great and answered any questions I had. Didn’t make it feel awkward at all would recommend. He was brilliant with communication as well

Titu was great at answering questions and sending information about the property. Would recommend.

Great viewing with Titu, he was professional and we felt that we could take our time to look around. He explained how to apply for the property and gave us a swift response. Thanks again!

Titu was so helpful today and great showing us round the flats, so professional & polite. A fantastic member of your team 🤩

My estate agent Titu was very friendly and welcoming. Even though there was a large group of viewers attending, he was able to answer all questions that I had.
Made it clear on how to apply for the property and some helpful suggestions and hints to all the viewers.
Overall a very professional experience from him.

My roommate attended a viewing with the agent TITU and had his all of our questions answered. He is also good to get a hold of due to his use of text and replies quite promptly. I have had him myself before for other viewings and he was polite, respectful and friendly there too. Many thanks Titu

I’ve had several viewings with Philip james recently and the staff are always very helpful and informative.
Thanks Titu and Harry for your help 👍🏽

Went for a viewing, Titu from Philip James was very friendly and showed us round the apartment. Titu was happy to answer any questions we had and gave a thorough tour of the property. Thanks!

Everything was very prompt and on time. The agent was very informative and professional. The property we viewed was very clean and pleasant.

Titu was happy to answer all questions asked and gave a thorough tour of the property

I had a great viewing with Titus this morning and it was the fastest have ever done. Thanks

I had a very frustrating experience with Phillip James. They send out rental offers at 12am and then expect the holding deposit to be paid before 9am the next working day - an extremely unrealistic and unfair deadline, especially without any prior warning. We were also booked in for a viewing despite clearly stating our required move-in date beforehand. After going through the process and expressing genuine interest, our offer was rejected simply because we couldn't meet an earlier move-in date - something they already knew.

This kind of disorganised and inconsiderate approach wastes people's time and shows a complete lack of understanding for the needs of renters. I wouldn't recommend them based on our experience.