Companies that manage rental properties have to make continuous efforts to adapt to the ever-evolving industry. But to produce top-tier results for the business, property management companies should have various qualities to remain competitive.
What should you look for in a good PM company?
Real estate investors and property owners have a reputation and credibility to uphold. And if a property management company doesn’t enforce these characteristics, they may have a lesser chance at success.
However, these two qualities aren’t the only components that make up a good property management company. When looking for a well-rounded service, property owners should consider the following qualities before deciding.
1. Responsiveness
A property management company should have fast responses to feedback from tenants. Providing good service shows a high level of care – which they shouldn’t overlook.
According to Salesforce, 80% of customers reported that experiences are just as important as the service companies provide. If a property management company tends to ignore feedback or has long response times, this may be a sign that it’s a poor fit for your business.
2. Communication Skills
When searching for a property management company, it must operate with highly developed communication skills.
Clear communication is essential for business. It fosters a good working relationship with clients, and it ensures property owners and the management team increase productivity and continue growing revenue streams.
With over 5 billion mobile devices in the world, SMS text messaging is becoming ever more popular as businesses across various industries strive to keep customers informed. Other companies may use email or may even develop their own communications platform to ensure that customers have easy access to important information.
Unfortunately, data breaches are also a primary concern; hacking even one communications app or business can reveal hundreds of thousands of customers’ personal data files. Whether a company uses SMS text messaging, their own platform, or any other service to communicate, it should always ensure it takes measures for privacy and data protection. The best property management companies will have timely, effective and secure communication.
3. A Sound Business Structure
Real estate property owners need to ensure their investment is secure. Therefore, companies that manage rental properties must have a sound business structure. This requires successful planning, processes, teams, performance, and passion.
In addition, companies should have the best property management software to keep their operations intact. Property management software ensures companies operate efficiently to accommodate customers and property owners.
With these factors in place, real estate owners should evaluate how the company executes various workflows and processes. A sound structure ensures you get the most out of your property.
4. Experience
Hiring a company that manages properties can be a complex process. That’s because there are several laws you must follow on a federal, state, and local level. Yet once you have a list of companies you’re interested in hiring, it’s important to find out about their experience.
Do they have a proven track record? If so, how do they handle the day-to-day operations of managing properties?
More importantly, you should find out how long the company has been in business. Plus, they should thoroughly understand their marketing strategies and the market area. To be on the safe side, check to see if they have any referrals or testimonials to back up their business.
5. Tenant Screening Process
High-quality tenants are hard to find these days. However, great companies that manage properties ensure they have the best tenants by conducting a thorough screening process.
When reviewing your list of potential property management companies, consider inquiring about their tenant screening process. Ideally, it should have the following:
- Credit check
- Rent payment history
- Income verification
- Employment status
- Tenant eviction report
In addition to the tenant screening process, you may also want to verify the function of the rental application. Is it quick and easy for applicants to submit? If you’re certain about how efficient these processes are, rest assured that you will be hiring a good property management business.
6. Fosters Relationship-Building
Anyone in the business of working with clients should be able to work closely with them. Therefore, a good property management company will build relationships with property owners.
When looking into the right fit for property management, it helps to look for signs of how they service their existing client base. If the property management company checks out, the working relationship will keep things running smoothly.
7. Reliability and Trust
One question to ask yourself about your property management company – ideally before making a hiring decision – is whether the company is reliable and trustworthy. It isn’t easy to conduct business with people you can’t trust. In most instances, you’ll be questioning their every move.
To guarantee you can trust the company, start by assessing its reputation online. You can look for reviews and testimonials to see if they hold a good track record. Additionally, the company should be a member of professional associations such as the National Property Management Association.
Finally, you can check the company’s ratings on the Better Business Bureau website and similar directories for further insight.
Hire Professional Companies That Manage Properties Successfully
When looking for a stellar property management company, these are some of the top qualities they should possess. However, the more they have, the better. When a property management business checks off a list of good qualities, it’s typically a good indicator that you’re choosing the right company. After all, you need people to help you meet your obligations to tenants effectively and efficiently – and a good partner will do just that.