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When you’re looking for professional Columbus property management, it’s important to study a company’s experience, reputation, and dedication to customer service. You should spend time getting to know how a company operates and making sure their values and vision line up with yours.
It’s also important to have an interview with the management company. When you get together, make sure you have a list of questions ready. A good property manager will not only answer those questions, but also use them as a way to open a dialogue about all the things that require attention and care.
We’ve compiled the top 10 questions you should always ask a management company before you hire.
1. How long have you been in business?
You don’t want any on-the-job-training to occur with your asset. It’s important to find a property manager who has experience managing homes similar to yours and in the local Columbus market.
2. Are you investors, too?
Finding a team with personal and professional experience will really help you get the best possible service. Managers who invest themselves understand your anxieties, struggles, and pains.
3. Can you help me find more properties?
Unless you’re a reluctant landlord who is satisfied with one rental property, you should be thinking about your long-term investment goals. Look for a management company that will do more than collect rent and take care of maintenance. Find an advisor who can help you increase your ROI and find new investment opportunities.
4. How do you market properties?
Marketing should be strategic and prioritized. When you market your home well, it spends less time vacant and earns you more money. Look for a company that syndicates your listing to several of the most popular rental websites and uses their professional network to attract a large tenant pool.
5.How do you qualify tenants?
Tenant screening is one of the most important things your property manager will do. Make sure they’re looking at nationwide eviction and criminal records, verifying income and employment, and conducting thorough landlord reference checks.
6. Do I have a say in anything?
You can be as involved as you want to be, but with a good property manager, you won’t have to do much. Trust your property management company to make the best decisions based on your needs and your property. When your property manager has the authority and autonomy to act based on experience and knowledge, you’ll be protected from liability and expensive mistakes.
7. Do you notify me of large repairs?
You’ll need to know if maintenance requires your approval. While you shouldn’t necessarily need to give the green light to a garbage disposal reset, you should be informed before thousands of dollars are spent on a new roof. Find out what the parameters are, and make sure you’re comfortable with them.
8. How do you utilize technology?
Technology has modernized and automated much of what we do, allowing property managers to focus on customer service and creating outstanding investment experiences for owners and tenants. Make sure your property manager has invested in efficient management software so you can access an owner portal and see how your investment is performing.
9. Please explain all of your fees.
Every property management company charges their fees differently. You might have only a leasing and management fee, or you might have extra fees tossed in as well. There might be a flat fee or a percentage of the rent that’s collected to cover the management of your home. There is no right or wrong way to structure fees, just make sure you’re aware of them. Transparency is important.
10. How do I become your favorite client?
This is a question your potential property management company will love. It’s a good way to talk about expectations and how your relationship will move forward.
If you have any additional questions or you’d like to hear how we would answer these queries, please contact us at Solutions for Real Estate. We’d love to tell you more.
