Home Improvement – Real Estate

Five Considerations of Hiring Property Managers

1. Management Fee
The property owner needs to understand the purpose of the management fee (typically 10%). The percentage management fee pays for the property manager’s time. The 10% allows someone else to help shoulder the burden of owning the property. The owner is paying for someone else to field 2:00 am calls. It is important to remember that the property manager cannot take all of the responsibility and burden off the owner. In the end, it is the owner’s property and the owner’s responsibility.

2. Interview
When hiring any professional, an interview will be conducted to hire the correct candidate and then the professional is left to alone to do their job. Working with a property manager is no different. During the interview process ask good questions; require forthright answers, hire the right candidate, and then get out of their way. If an owner is a high micromanager then they should hire a certain type property manager (see Property Manager categories below).

3. Personality fit
The owner’s personality has to fit the property manager’s systems and procedures. Sometimes owners will have difficulty with a property managers systems and procedures. If a property management company sets office hours between 9-5 Monday through Friday and owner wants an update on their property @ 6:00pm on a Friday evening they will have to wait until 9:00 am Monday. This may drive some owners crazy who want to be very involved in the day-to-day management. If this is the case they probably should hire a manager who will be more responsive to the owner’s needs.

4. Communication
Communication is a two-way street. It is not only the property manager’s responsibility to communicate effectively. Owners should understand they have to lead the property manager in how they expect the manager to manage the property.

Here’s an example: My wife is a director of marketing for a company. She has to be the leader in guiding and directing the advertising agency as to what she wants for the project. She cannot expect the advertising agency to try to guess what she wants in the project.

If your property manager is slow in returning your phone calls explain to them the level of communication you expect. In return, ask them how much communication they expect from you.

Many property managers would rather only communicate with you on as needed basis. Much more than this level of communication from the owner is overkill.

5. Property Manager Categories
While Property managers fall into three categories, the size of the property management company is neither better nor worse than the others. Choosing the size of property manager has more to do with the level of owner pampering and paperwork provided rather than a property manager being good or bad.

Small 1-50 units
Property managers in the small category are usually unlicensed with no training in property management. These managers will have more time for the property owner. This type of property manager is usually not much more than a handyman who will show and rent apartments. If a property owner wants to be hands on and needs to be updated on every specific action of the property this is the manager they should hire.

Pros:
These property managers have the time to cuddle and coddle the owner. They will provide the owner with receipts for repairs and nothing else in documentation.

Cons:
These managers will have no systems in place to and will not be able to negotiate vendor discounts. No 1099s and no accounting documents prepared for your accountant.

Medium 50-150 units

Pros:
These managers have more of a professional approach with the use of some systems. They have the purchase power to negotiate some vendor discounts.

Cons:
The paperwork may be enough for the owner to understand the numbers, but may not be enough information to submit to an accountant or to the IRS.

Large 150+

Pros:
Large companies have invested a lot of money in their systems procedures. They will have an in-house maintenance staff. Their accounting reports can be submitted to an accountant or the IRS.

Cons:
No time with the owner. Communication is very professional, but impersonal, done mostly through email and voicemail. Large management companies offer very little owner pampering and handholding. The downside: even owners who have been in real estate for many years still need some positive reinforcement once in a while.

Ryan Windley coauthored The Property Management Start-Up Guide – How to Start a Property Management Business and Still Keep Your Life in order to introduce entrepreneurs to property management as a viable business.

If you would like to know more about starting your own property management company you can purchase the book @ http://www.propertyprof.info

In Southern California, especially Orange County property management is an important aspect of investing in real estate. The profitability of your property is dependent on hiring a qualified helpful and professional property management company.

Hiring the wrong management company can mean losing thousand of dollars, or more. Property owners who hire the right OC property management company however, can enjoy the benefits of a lucrative property investment.

Some of the most common, and often, detrimental mistakes a property owner makes is not doing enough research. The more research you do, the more you can avoid hiring a bad management company.

Property management companies that also sell properties, often nation wide corporations like Century 21, etc. are often a bad idea. They usually are primarily real estate agents, who also do property management because they want to manage when you choose the sell the property. A property management company like this is not a good idea because they make more money selling than managing. You would benefit more from a smaller, specialized company that deals only with property management in your area and nothing else. For example, if your property is in Huntington Beach, you should try to find a local expert Orange County property management company that has a much experience in the local area only.

Make sure you check the references of your management company’s other clients. Don’t be afraid to make a few phone calls, and get a good track record. You shouldn’t sign anything before you have a good idea that the company you’re hiring is the best at property management in Orange County and one that you can trust. On the other hand, as an owner, you shouldn’t be too demanding of references either. A good property management company will not release all of their clients’ information to you, because it is private and confidential information. The management company won’t be making an obscene amount of money managing your property, so they can always tell you to take your business elsewhere if you are being too much of a pain. You will do well with around 3 references to talk to, and get an idea of how they work with their clients.

Some other things to keep in mind: Is the company licensed in the state of California? Is the company insured? Do they have a fidelity bond to protect you in case an employee mishandles your money? Will they provide you with reports? Will they market your property? How do they deal with late charges? How do they handle tenant complaints? And so on. These are some tips for making sure you hire a good property management company that will professionally and efficiently manage your property, helping you turn your home/apartment/condo/commercial property into a steady investment.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.