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BE A BETTER LANDLORD

 

How do great property management companies become great? They provide customer service that’s a huge step above the rest. By being the best property management company in the San Antonio area, for not only owners, but also for tenants, and even vendors and contractors, we have developed a strong reputation and continue to rise above the competition. If you are not quite ready to make that step to hire a property manager, here are a few tips of things you, as a rental property owner can do to improve your service and be a better landlord.

  1. Make it Easy

You, along with your tenants and vendors, are busy people. Most owners, in addition to being a landlord, have a full time job and are only doing property management or landlord duties “on the side”. You think about your rental property as your investment property, but you, your tenants and vendors are thinking about a lot of other things as well, distractions in everyday life can take over. Sometimes, a tenant doesn’t think about that rent payment until the night before it is due. Often, an owner wants to check that a payment went through or look at the progress of a renovation project after work hours. A vendor may be wondering when he is going to get paid.  According to the Interest blog, “the way you keep (tenants) happy is by keeping the property in good shape and treating them with respect.” Make it simple for your tenants to access information about their accounts and properties by developing a tenant portal where you can store payment information and file important facts about each property. Property management software is available to help with this. As a property management company, Real Property Management Alamo offers both tenant and owner portals for all to be kept in the loop of what is going on with their accounts and/or properties. We can also hire and keep vendors in the loop to avoid you having to deal with them or work directly with a vendor of your choosing.

  1. Embrace Diversity

While online rent payments work for many and most of your tenants and owners do enjoy the convenience of looking up information about a property online, some of your tenants will need the flexibility of a phone call. How do you wish to be contacted? How does your tenant want to be contacted? Be willing to be flexible. Texting, emailing, a phone call? Be willing to offer what works best on a case by case situation. Provide a contact number where there are real people available to answer urgent calls and general questions, even after normal work hours. Consider using a call center or other service that is available after business hours especially for maintenance emergencies.

According to the NOLO blog, “a good management company brings its know-how and experience to your property, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your investment is in good hands.” Achieving this peace of mind comes in different ways for different people. Your vendors may want to invoice you and expect a credit card payment, some a check, are you willing to accept what works best? Again, that peace of mind that comes with knowing your investment is in good hands comes differently for certain owners and tenants. Embrace those differences.

  1. Anticipate Problems and Provide Solutions

Providing great property management isn’t just about finding and fixing problems, it’s also about preventing them. Truly great property management companies are on top of problems before they exist, working to maintain properties through ongoing routine maintenance, diligent repair schedules, and frequent property assessments to check-in on the condition of the property. As an owner of a rental property you should be diligent with making sure to have regular reviews with tenants and vendors. By anticipating problems and working on them on an ongoing basis, an owner can help the tenant feel well cared for and they in turn will be better about taking care of the property. Hiring a property management company can also help tenants feel that the owner is serious about taking good care of them, in addition to helping owners know that their properties are in good hands.

 

  1. Be Clear

Tenants, vendors and owners all appreciate clear communication. This can begin as early as advertising the property for rent, make sure to be specific in what will be provided and what is expected. Clear communication should also be top priority to avoid any miscommunication during the application and tenant screening process and the lease agreement, which should clearly outline the responsibilities of the tenants, owner, (and property management company, if applicable). Use a property management data system to properly file key documents, and make sure that these are accessible to the tenants online so that there is no question about when maintenance will occur, how often property assessments will be done and how they will be contacted to be made aware, or whether pets are allowed and when and how rent should be paid, etc. Everything should be in writing, don’t assume you told the tenants something, make sure they have it in writing and have signed that they got it. If you do not have a property management data or software program, make sure hard copies are always kept. A lease agreement should never be verbal. A copy must be able to be provided at any time. When using a property management company, they will provide a copy of the lease outlining all responsibilities of the tenants, the owner and the property management company. There are laws that govern how documents must be stored and Real Property Management is compliant with all of the Texas real estate laws.

At Real Property Management Alamo, we want to excel as one of the best property management companies around. In your quest to provide better service to your tenants, we can help. Our innovative software products and customer service representatives are a huge help and support to you, in addition to being a support as you work with tenants, and vendors. Contact us today at 210-787-3876 or email [email protected].

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When it comes to finding the right property manager for your investment property, you want to know that they stand behind their work and get the job done right – the first time. At Real Property Management we have the expertise, technology, and systems to manage your property the right way. We work hard to optimize your return on investment while preserving your asset and giving you peace of mind. Our highly trained and skilled team works hard so you can be sure your property's management will be Done Right.

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