Considering Hiring a Property Manager?

Ask a Few of These Questions First.

Let a Professional Property Manager handle your rental property.

While many investors spend a large amount of time and effort carefully researching the property markets and then finding the top investment property, they ignore the role that a professional property management firm can play in preserving their property’s capital value and maximizing its income.

Property markets growing strongly and no shortage of tenants, and many beginning landlords fail to ignore the relationship with their property manager as an ongoing business partnership. There are far too many landlords who choose their property manager on fees alone, while others think they don’t need a property manager, doing all the work themselves. It’s possible they don’t understand that a property management firm is much more than a company just collecting rents.

Managing your property to minimize vacancies and maximize your returns requires:

• Industry specific skills and knowledge such as knowing how to market your property effectively to get it exposed to the maximum number of tenants.
• Setting the rent at an appropriate market level to ensure quick leasing, the choice of a variety of good tenants and at the same time maximize the returns in these days of rising rents.
• Checking potential tenants' references to ensure you have reliable, unproblematic tenants.
• Drawing a fair and comprehensive lease to protect your interests as a landlord.
• Handling repairs and maintenance with skilled, licensed vendors.
• Keeping up to date with complex ever-changing tenancy legislation.

If you’re considering hiring a property manager in Florida, we’ve got you covered. We offer long and ongoing relationships with our clients. So, how do you select a top professional?

First, you’ll need to make a list of potential property managers.

Many property managers use new technology to centralize their services, so it’s not essential to appoint a managing agent whose office is in the same area as your investment property. However, find someone who offers experience in the property market your property is located in.

We find it best to arrange to meet the short list of property managers at their offices as this gives you a great opportunity to observe them on their home turf. This helps you determine if you feel comfortable working with them; you can gauge their level of professionalism.

When you meet potential property managers, clarify which services are included in their proposal and ask some specific questions – for example, check how they handle arrears, routine inspections, and rent reviews.

There are 11 things you should keep in mind when speaking with a prospective property manager:

Find out how many years the property manager has been with the agency.

You should look for stability in your property manager. You want someone who will learn your property inside and out.

You want to pick up the phone and talk to that person today, and in 6 months, you want to be able to talk to that same person.

Due to the stresses involved in property management, the staff turnover tends to be quite high. Therefore, look for a realtor who has chosen property management as a long-term career.

The agency should have a dedicated property management department. You should also know how many staff will be looking after the property.

Ensure that your agent has a dedicated property management department.

It would be preferable that this department is staffed by a number of experts so there is continuity of management in the event of one property manager being ill or leaving.

Ensure the director/owner of the agency is involved in the day to day management of the property management department.

Most agencies have a sales department and a rental department.

Generally, the business owner has a sales background and not a rental background, and looks after the sales department leaving the management of their rental department to a property manager.

This is often because the sales department has a higher turnover and high income.

The rental department has a lower income, is more intensive and difficult to manage.

You may find that an agency where the director has an active involvement of the property management department will take the business of property management more seriously.

Discuss the property manager’s previous experience. How long have they been working in real estate, and more specifically, what is their experience in property management?

This relates to the property manager and not the agency. Going to a brand name agency doesn’t mean their service is going to be any better.

Many people start their career in real estate as receptionists, eventually moving up to the property management department. Some of the top performers move into sales, and some individuals choose property management as a career. This is the type of person that should be looking after your property.

Make sure the property manager gives you a written proposal.

Some property managers just go out and look at your property and say “OK, we’ll put it on our website”.

Look for someone who has put in the time and effort to write a proposal and present a professional image to you. It is likely they will look after your property properly if they make the effort to present their services in a professional manner.

What geographic area does the property management service cover?

While you should be looking for a property manager with expert local knowledge, consider what your property portfolio will look like in a couple of years.

Will you own a number of properties spread throughout the central Florida?

You could either employ a specialist property manager in each geographic location or you could instruct a large property management company that covers a larger geographic area.

With the advent of internet advertising and electronic banking, these “super offices” no longer need to be located in the local shopping strip to manage your properties.

Many professional property investors are turning to this type of asset manager who will be able to look after their entire property portfolio.

Does the Property Manager hand out keys or do they attend property showings with prospective tenants?

If they just hand out the keys and let the tenant view the property on their own, move on to another agency.

Too many things can go wrong with this approach and the security of your property is compromised.

Inspecting your property with a prospective tenant means that the agent has a better opportunity to promote the property, as well a chance to get to know the tenant a little better.

Does the manager look after numerous properties?

A property manager who looks after too many properties may not have time to devote the attention to your property.

At some boutique agencies each property manager looks after about 100-150 properties. Some busy agencies have 200 properties per property manager, which takes them away from providing individual attention to properties.

While these agencies may charge a little more for their property management services, landlords find this extra expense translates to a trouble-free investment that often produces a higher return.

The agency should have staff available to show your property to prospective tenants six days a week.

The hectic pace of life and the advertising of rental properties on the Internet 24 hours a day means a good property manager must be available to show prospective tenants your property when it best suits the tenant.

Ask if they have a system for checking prospective tenants credit worthiness, past rental history, and current employment.

A trustworthy property manager subscribes to a major tenancy database and screens all prospective tenants carefully.

If you go to court, your property manager should go. See if they have a proven success rate of past appearances.

Unfortunately, as a landlord, you just might have to go to court to protect your rights.

If this happens you will need an experienced property manager to represent you as tenancy laws have become quite complex.

When you have chosen your property manager, establish a collaborative relationship and agree on your working parameters.

Explain to them how involved you want to be in the ongoing management of your property.

Make it clear what they are allowed to do without referring back to you and when you do require them to contact you.

This will avoid many of the misunderstandings that arise between property managers and landlords.

If your property manager suggests you undertake non-urgent repairs or maintenance on your investment, listen to them.

By doing so, you can keep your property in top condition and you will be less likely to lose your tenants.

As a property investor you have the choice of managing your investment properties yourself or delegating the day-to-day management to managing agents. Engaging a property manager is the preferred option for investors in today’s more complex property market.

If you’re thinking about hiring a property manager, it is critical that you choose wisely as proactive property management can considerably increase the return from your investment property.

Contact Legends Realty 407-333-1010 should you have any questions.