Property management requires a unique employee. Property managers must be personable, organized, detail-oriented, and problem-solving. Even the perfect property manager can make mistakes throughout the course of their career. The mistakes a property manager could make may seem small but they can add up. Property managers must play many roles in their position, all of which involve keeping residents satisfied with their homes in some way or another. Here are the top five mistakes a property manager could make and what to ensure your managers are trained to avoid.
Poor Communication
Your property manager must have a relationship with your residents. Residents shouldn’t feel as if they’re renting from a stranger. The property manager is the face of your community. If your property manager doesn’t excel in communication and relationship building, it might be time to find a new one. Managers need to make sure they’re keeping in touch with residents about their rental experience, needs, and what they’d like to see from the community in the future. Communicating well with residents frequently is key in retention. Residents need to feel taken care of by someone they can trust and communication builds that trust.
Piled Up Maintenance Requests
Another big mistake a property manager can make is letting maintenance requests pile up. Residents can be pretty understanding when it comes to maintenance as long as they’re kept updated on the status. Even if you have lots of requests coming in at once, you have to address them ASAP so your residents feel heard. Additionally, some of the requests may be truly time-sensitive and ignoring them for any time could cost your property more in the end. Quickly addressing maintenance requests is a form of customer service that’s important when it comes to keeping residents happy and in your community.
Difficult Processes
No one wants to deal with difficult processes. Whether your banking app is on the fritz or you can’t get your online rent payment to go through – glitches and difficult processes cause stress for even the most patient of us. Property managers understand that streamlining processes and making sure they work well is key in resident satisfaction. Your managers should be making things like rent payment, maintenance requests, and amenity scheduling as easy as possible for your residents to accomplish. Managers should also be frequently checking these systems to ensure they’re well-functioning and easy to use.
Not Screening Well
One of the biggest mistakes a property manager could make is not screening potential residents well. There’s an art to resident screening and great property managers excel at it. Sometimes, it’s really a learned art, so inexperienced managers may miss the mark. Screening potential residents well can reduce losses in evictions, advertising costs, unpaid rent, and more. Property managers can go beyond the traditional methods by using specific screening services, checking social media, and asking smart questions during a resident interview.
Not Being Active on Social Media
As a property, being active on social media is important. Potential residents are looking at your social media platforms to see how you engage with your residents and how they engage with you. They’re also looking to see what kinds of reviews your property has. Ignoring social media, or even ignoring bad reviews, can hurt your chances of gaining new residents when you have vacancies.
While the mistakes a property manager could make vary, these are some of the top complaints. If you’re looking for a personable, professional property manager for your community, let us help! We value confidentiality so you don’t have to worry if you’re replacing a current employee. Contact us today to find out more!