Yeah, you threw me with that remark about rental agent fees... Never heard of that in the US, outside of NYC. It's SOP in much of Continental Europe, but I'm glad to hear from Stravinsky that it still works the way I did it when I was in the UK - the rental agent collects his fees from the landlord.

I'll also second the notion of NOT renting long-distance. There is just too much that could go wrong. Either make a "house-hunting" trek over there, or just arrange to stay in a hotel for the first couple of weeks.

You shouldn't necessarily need to have a British bank account and your visa in order to rent a flat. (I had neither by the time I moved in... though this was some time ago.) What they will want is "proof" of your resources to pay for the rent - letter from your bank (in the US), or any funding source you have for grad school.

I'm just curious, but what exactly is the relocation agent going to do for you? I've moved twice from the US to Europe now and while I had some assistance from my employer for finding a place to live, have never dealt with a relocation agent. (Too cheap - both the employers and myself.)

Anyhow, sounds like you're set for a big adventure here. Keep us posted how your plans are coming along!
Cheers,
Bev