Top 10 Things a Property Management Company Does

It is always a good idea to invest in the real estate market. Turn your vacant apartments into vacation rentals to make good use of your property and grow a passive income. While investing in real estate can be daunting at first, especially when you think about all the processes and management you need to do. You can always hire a property management company.

Hiring a successful property manager will help you handle and manage all of your real estate properties. If you are not familiar with the property management industry, in this article we will explain what property management is, the 10 things property management companies do, the qualities of highly successful property managers, and how to choose the right property management company.

What is Property Management?

Property management is the oversight of a real estate property by third-party contractors wherein they perform regular inspections, sourcing of tenants, questions and concerns of tenants, assets, and a lot more. Basically, property management is overseeing the day-to-day operation of real estate. The properties can be industrial, commercial, or residential.

There are numerous property management companies and the services they offer vary widely. They can handle different property types such as single-family homes, apartments, condominiums, office spaces, mobile home communities, and commercial spaces.

When hiring a Miami property management company, they will assign a dedicated property manager to manage all of your real estate assets. It is the job of the property manager to market vacancies, screen tenants, rent collection, sign leases, repairs, maintenance, and a lot more. Basically, their job is to make it easy for the property owner to manage their real estate assets.

What Property Management Companies Do

Tenant Screening

One of the things property management companies do is screen the tenants. This is very important since property owners would not want a tenant that does not have the ability to pay. When it comes to screening tenants, they not only look at their capacity to pay but also their background and the way they live.

No property owner would want a tenant who doesn’t know how to take care of things. Part of screening good tenants is to ensure they will take care of the property as if they own them.

Managing Maintenance and Repair

Another great thing about getting a property management company is they will manage all repairs and maintenance. These include electrical, lawn, plumbing, building, and equipment. They will be the ones to arrange and monitor the job work.

Property management companies will also ensure that any repair and maintenance comply with the safety and quality of the real estate. Tenants renting your property will feel happy and secure knowing that the place they live in is well-maintained and safe and that their needs are taken care of.

Providing a List of Contractors

Property management firms have a list of contractors ready anytime you need some repairs or maintenance within your rental property. When there’s an immediate repair needed, they know who the best people to call to do the job.

The great thing about this is that the property manager has already established a good relationship with the contractors. They can even help you save on the cost of repairs since most of them can get special or discounted rates. You don’t need to look and deal with different contractors, a good property management company will do the negotiation and handle the contracts for you.

Dealing With Legal Issues

Let’s face it, not all property owners are well-versed when it comes to legal issues concerning their properties, especially when dealing with tenants. By getting the services of a property management company, you don’t have to worry about any legal issues that you may have to face in the future. You can even prevent from having any legal issues from arising. A good property management service is always up-to-date about tenancy laws.

Filling up Vacancies

Property management companies will also handle finding people to fill up any vacancies in the property. Doing this on your own can take up a lot of your time marketing and posting ads to promote your property.

Both owners and the condominium community do not want a property to remain vacant for a long period of time. Hiring a property management company can shorten vacancy time and will ensure that new tenants will rent for a long period of time. They will also handle tenant turnover.

Handling of Documentation

While a large chunk of the job of a property management company is to handle and manage everyday operations, they are also responsible for handling a lot of paperwork. A property manager will prepare lease agreements, background checks on prospective renters, credit reports, notices, and billings.

Dealing with Tenants

Part of a property manager’s job description is to act as the contact person between you and your tenant. If your tenants have problems, questions, or issues with your rental property, their first line of contact would be the property manager.

It’s the property manager’s job to solve problems first, so you won’t be disturbed and won’t have to handle any of the usual problems that may arise.

Bookkeeping

The best property management companies will be able to help a real estate owner with bookkeeping. Proper bookkeeping is an essential part of investment property as this can help owners minimize taxes and maintain a positive cash flow.

A lot of property owners can even claim tax deductions for the services that of the property management company. This can help you save money and increase your passive income. The best property management companies even offer this service without an additional cost.

Handling of Bill Payments and Rental Collections

When you hire a good property manager, you don’t need to worry about rental collections and handling security deposits. Bills payment and rental collections can cause a lot of headaches to a property owner, especially when there are slow payers or worst those renters who breach their leases.

Dealing with defaulters can be a lot of work and can even lead to a more serious case where police may be involved. Although, most of the time these things can be worked out without involving the police or even lawyers, hiring a property manager can save you from all these troubles.

Keeping Everything in Order

If you are into real estate investing, you probably have more than one rental property. Managing all of them can be difficult and confusing. A good management company will keep everything in order for you, from financial management, documents, financial statements, and other important files.

A property management company can help you stay organized helping you save time and making it easier for you to monitor your rental revenue for all your rental properties.

Qualities of a Good Property Manager

Find a property manager with the qualities below, to ensure your real estate business will run smoothly.

Excellent Communication Skills

Having strong communication skills is an essential requirement for every property manager because they are the ones who are in first contact with both the tenants and landlords. Therefore, property managers should be able to communicate effectively and efficiently to ensure that all concerns and issues are being addressed.

Good property managers must be able to remove emotion when dealing with issues so that they can easily find solutions being raised by their tenants. They must ensure that tenants are satisfied with the property management.

Property managers should also have a good communication line with the landlords. This means that they need to be able to update you as a landlord on everything, such as rental payments, maintenance problems, or when a certain tenant has given notification to vacate.

Knowledge of Local Market

A good property manager must know the local housing market in the neighborhood. Having knowledge or insights regarding the trends in the local market ensures that you are charging the correct rent for your estate and can help in steering property improvement strategy that will, later on, help improve rental returns.

Highly Organized

Property managers have a lot of responsibilities, so they need to manage their time and priorities effectively. A good property manager must have a high level of organization to ensure that every detail of their roles will be done thoroughly. Being organized will enable property managers to coordinate multiple projects at once and always make sure that they pay attention to details that will protect tenants and landlords. They also need to create a system that will guarantee that the management runs smoothly even when they are away.

Punctual

A property manager who is always on time for appointments will unlikely to miss doing inspections, collecting rent, or doing paperwork when needed. This can also mean that every concern from either the tenant or landlord will be addressed promptly.

Investor Mindset

Having an investor mindset can help property managers to see big ideas and help in making important decisions to maximize investment success. They should know at least know the basic difference between positive and negative gearing. They should be able to contribute ideas on how to add value to the property.

Continuous Learning Skill

A good property manager is committed to continuous learning. Property managers who are on the top of their game are constantly learning about the industry, market and investment trends, and the always-changing landlord and tenant legislation. Being updated to current regulations will give tenants advance notice of the changes and help protect the landlord from expensive penalties connected to non-compliance.

Strong Negotiating Skill

Having strong negotiating skills is needed to be an effective property manager. There will always be problems and issues with tenants, and negotiation holds the key to resolving problems and creating value in contracts. A manager who shows strength and confidence when needed to address tenants’ issues is crucial to the landlord.

Tech-savvy

Property managers should be tech-savvy because everything is digital now. The property management industry is continually growing, and new technologies are being presented all the time. A good property manager must know the latest in technology and the digital world to stay competitive in the business.

Good Customer Service Skills

A property manager deals with different types of people, so they should have great customer service skills. They should be polite, and responsive and must not quickly get annoyed when dealing with difficult tenants. Ask how they handle difficult situations and how they can appease frustrated tenants.

Tips for Choosing the Best Property Management Companies

Pick a Local Firm

Choose a property management company in your locality. The property manager must know and conform to the state, federal, and local rules and regulations. It is also vital to note the local variables may concern how a property should be managed. Therefore, a local property manager who knows the peculiarities of the location is essential.

Know the Company’s Experience and Specialty

Property management is a broad business, so you should know what type of investment property they specialize in. If you want to invest in an apartment complex, do not hire a property management company specializing in single-family homes.

The number of years of experience is also significant because it tells a lot about the company’s resilience to changes in the industry. Know how long the property management company has been in the business and how many properties they manage. It is also essential to know the qualifications of the management and staff. Ask about their training and other qualifications before hiring them.

Assess the Companys’ Performance and Systems

Ask about the company’s statics for the vacancy, occupancy, eviction, the average length of tenancy, rent collection data, and turnover rates. Knowing these things can help you determine if the company is doing well. It would help if you also look at the systems they use. Good management must be able to provide convenience to the tenants regarding payment and submitting concerns.

Learn how the Company handles Vacancy and Advertising

If you own a rental property, then you know the dilemma of vacancies. If you want to hire a property management company, you must ask whether or not they charge a fee for the total number of units. This is very important because you might want a company that does not charge a fee if a unit stays unrented. You may also want to ask how they will advertise the vacancies in your rental property before making any agreement with the property management company.

Check Property Management Agreement and other Necessary Documents

Before signing any contract, request a sample property management agreement so that you can study everything that is in there. Make sure you are fully aware of important things such as the monthly management fee, exit clause, etc. You may also like to look at the samples of owner reports and tenant lease agreements.

Referrals and Reviews

Get referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors, or people you know. That’s one easy way to find a suitable property management company for your rental property. Once you have a list of companies, you can start googling them and see if they have positive reviews. You may also want to check from Better Business Bureau to ensure that the company of your choice has no bad records.

Related Questions

What are the 5 different roles and responsibilities of property managers?

The 5 different roles and responsibilities of property managers include rent management, maintenance, ownership laws or landlord-tenant laws, records, accounting, and taxation.

What do property managers actually do?

Property managers actually do a lot of things. Some of their major roles include marketing, dealing with tenants’ concerns, repair and maintenance, and handling money. Property managers handle all the issues on the rental and make sure that everything is being dealt with and taken care of professionally.

What is a property manager’s most important duty?

The most important duty of property managers is to assist owners in the daily operations of rental properties. From finding tenants to maintenance, a property manager will ensure that the value of your rental property will be preserved while generating income.

Conclusion

Property management companies can help make your life so much easier when managing multiple properties for rent. When choosing a property manager to handle your business, make sure to get from a firm that has a good reputation, has a basic understanding of managing finance, standard operating procedures, and local real estate laws. While you need to pay a certain amount for property management fees, it would be all worth it as long as you choose the right company. Contact us today at Urban Resource Management.