PropertyManager.com

Property Management with Pizzaz: Properties That Attract Residents

Posted on 17. Aug, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

We all want to attract good residents to the properties we manage. We can begin attracting quality residents by thinking like a resident thinks. A quality resident wants to live in a property that makes a positive, first impression.

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4 Key Things Property Managers Need to Know (But Might Not!)

Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

Here are four important things every property manager should know about security deposits, rental/lease agreements, lead-based paint and notice requirements for your state.

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Tips for Residential Property Managers Who Specialize in Single-Family Homes

Posted on 15. Jul, 2010 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

The typical multi-unit property manager usually has a solid system in place for managing their rentals. But what about the management companies who specialize in single family home rentals? How do their needs vary from the multi-unit property manager?

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Resident Application Approval Process: Red Flags

Posted on 29. Jun, 2010 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

In my last article, Resident Application Approval Process: Key Indicators, I discussed areas to look at when reviewing an applicant’s credit history. What follows is a list of potential red flags.

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Resident Application Approval Process: Key Indicators

Posted on 17. Jun, 2010 by Mary Girsch-Bock.

Years ago, approving applicants was a relatively simple process. You checked an applicant’s credit report, perhaps called a former landlord, verified employment, and soon you were taking deposits and setting up a move-in date. Like many other things, the rules have changed.

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Property Manager’s Guide to Preserving Owner Relationships

Posted on 03. Jun, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

You’ve probably worked hard to build up your book of clients and to establish yourself as an irreplaceable property manager. Yet we also know it’s easy to take those relationships for granted. We can convince ourselves that these owners know how lucky they are to have us managing their properties. After all, they probably aren’t shopping around for better management; at least we hope they aren’t?

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Property Managers: Grow Your Business Without Spending a Small Fortune

Posted on 18. May, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

Most of us want to expand our property management business. Very few can afford to do this extravagantly in this belt-tightening economy. No need to be anxious though. I’ve learned from almost 4 decades of experience that little things mean a lot, and little steps can produce big results.

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How Property Managers Protect Their Owner Relationships

Posted on 13. May, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

This is an opportunistic time for property managers throughout the U.S.A. Not only are there growing numbers of potential “residents” looking for homes to rent or lease, but there are record numbers of owners who are not quite satisfied with their current property manager.

I hope that your clients are not one of those dissatisfied owners.

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Yet Another 5 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Rental Properties

Posted on 05. May, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

Property owners and managers are competing for new residents at an advantageous time. To compete effectively and economically, property managers are “turning up their imaginations” to make their properties more desirable. Here are five ideas to consider:

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8 Seconds to Make a Good Impression on a Prospective Resident

Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by Heather Blume.

8 Seconds. That’s a very long time if you’re riding a bull. Not so long if you’re meeting a prospective resident. Humans are judgmental. Going beyond cultural lines, beyond family, beyond age, and beyond any other conceivable grouping, across the board, humans as a species are judgmental.

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Even More Ways to Improve Rental Properties Inexpensively

Posted on 19. Mar, 2010 by Marc Courtenay.

Yesterday I received an advertisement from a rental car company. It simply stated, “The next time you need a rental car call us and receive a free upgrade”, and they meant it.

The word “free” strikes a positive chord for us all. So if I’m a couple looking for an apartment or a rental home and I see the word “free”, I’m likely to investigate this offer.

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“Hi! I’m a Red Flag!” and Other Interview Enders

Posted on 16. Mar, 2010 by Heather Blume.

The process of interviewing for a new property team member can be nerve wracking for many managers. With so many jobs cut back this last year, the pool of applicants has never been bigger and the resumes have never been more flowery and descriptive, not to mention misleading.

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Important Attributes to Look for When Hiring

Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by Mike Levy.

Over the last several months I have interviewed 50 of the most successful property managers across the United States. Most, if not all, of the interviewees talked about soft skills being much more important than having actual property management experience when hiring new employees.

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The Best Property Management Companies Are the Ones That Have Built Strong Teams

Posted on 22. Feb, 2010 by Mike Levy.

Over the last several months I have interviewed 50 of the most successful property managers across the United States. Excellent people skills and an enthusiastic and positive attitude were qualities of successful property managers. But the one thing that became very clear, early on in my interviews, was that building strong teams was critical to [...]

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Seven Reasons Why Rent Checks Cost More than You Think

Posted on 11. Feb, 2010 by Jim Semick.

More property management firms are discovering that they can save a significant amount of time and reduce headaches during rent week by moving their resident rent payments online using ACH (automated clearinghouse) and other electronic methods.

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Secrets of Successful Property Managers: Attitude Makes All the Difference

Posted on 04. Feb, 2010 by Mike Levy.

Over the last several months I have interviewed 50 of the most successful property managers across the United States. What I started to realize was that there was a common attribute that many of the successful property managers shared – and it was having a positive and enthusiastic attitude.

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Ditch That Rent Check: A World of Online Payment Options

Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by Jim Semick.

Sure, the lowly check will be with us for a while. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t help send checks the way of the dodo bird. According to a Federal Reserve System study, check usage is in steep decline, and checks now represent only 30 percent of all non-cash payments. Electronic payments are now the clear winner with consumers.

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Secrets of Successful Property Managers: Excellent People Skills are Critical

Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Mike Levy.

Over the last several months I have interviewed 50 of the most successful property managers across the United States. One thing I consistently heard over and over from the property managers, is the importance of having good people skills. The five critical people skills identified were:

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Bigger Isn’t Always Better: The Trend Towards Renting Smaller Apartments

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by Heather Blume.

When she was in 8th grade, as is tradition in my family, my sister got her first set of matched luggage. It was dark blue with tan piping and I remember it was from JC Penny’s. For 8th grade promotion, I think she received all the pieces to that luggage set that she hadn’t gotten [...]

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5 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Rental Properties

Posted on 16. Dec, 2009 by Marc Courtenay.

If you had an unlimited budget for upgrading your properties you wouldn’t need an article like this one. In the current economic reality, we have to be creative and financially careful when we are trying to make our units more appealing.

As a property manager, you know what it is like to have a tight schedule and an even tighter budget, so I thought I’d share with you some simple and “cheap” ways to spruce up your inventory to attract new residents.

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Cover Your Eyes! A Selection of Entries from Our “Worst Move-Out Photo” Contest

Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Jonathan Brownfield.

We recently held a contest here at PropertyManager.com asking property managers to submit their worst move-out photo(s) to be entered into a drawing for an iPod shuffle. We thought it best not to disclose any names because these photos are just too gross. So, if you’re having a hard day remember that it [...]

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Does Size Matter: Revisiting Your Pet Policy

Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by Heather Blume.

Let’s play a game. I’m going to show you two pictures and I want you to pick which dog you think would be a better fur-resident in your community, bearing in mind your current pet policy and your own personal prejudices and biases to certain dogs.

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Interview with Todd Breen, President of Home Property Management – Being Profitable with Section 8

Posted on 24. Sep, 2009 by Aimee Miller.

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Todd Breen (South East Regional Director, FARPM; Faculty at the Property Management Academy in Florida) about how his company (www.624home.com) makes the Section 8 program profitable. While I was stuck in the office, Todd was actually spearfishing on a yacht in Florida…this is the fish he [...]

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2 More Ideas on How Property Managers Can Prosper in Today’s Economy: Part 2

Posted on 04. Sep, 2009 by Jennifer Newton.

This is the second part of my article on best practices for property managers to continue to grow their business, even during our tough economy. In the first article I talked about providing excellent service to both types of your clients – owners and residents. My second two best practices are around building a strong [...]

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2 Ideas on How Property Managers Can Prosper in Today’s Economy: Part 1

Posted on 21. Aug, 2009 by Jennifer Newton.

I believe that property managers have the opportunity to get more clients during this recession so they emerge with an even stronger infrastructure once the economy turns around. Here is the first part of my thoughts on four areas to focus on right now so you can prosper in today’s economy. This article will cover [...]

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