When it comes to hiring a property management company, there are quite a few things that should be taken into consideration. Many times unfortunately people are not sure of what they should take into consideration or what criteria should be used to determine what company would work best for them.
With that in mind, in this article we will go over 9 tips and pointers to help you choose the best property management company to take care of your needs.
1. Feel Comfortable Around Them
It is crucial that when looking over various companies and considering who you will hire, you must feel comfortable around them. Keep in mind that you will have to spend quite a bit of time with them and you will have to work closely together, you want a property management company that will make you feel at ease and not stressed about doing business with them.
2. Experience
When hiring, it is important that you work with someone who had been around the block, someone who has ample experience and will be able to use that experience to your benefit. You want to trust that the management company you hire will be knowledgeable and have the experience to back them.
3. Hire Locally
It is very important that you hire a local manager. A local company will have local knowledge; they will also have the local contacts that are an essential part of being a successful manager. This is why you want to make sure that you hired a company that has ample local experience.
4. Approved and Always Improving
It is important that the company you choose be approved by a governing body and/or association such as ARMA. The company as well as its employees should also be members of a trade group such as the Community Associations Institute which is always working to help improve the standards of the industry.
5. Work with a Specialist Company
It is important that you opt to work with a specialist company. What this means is that the company you choose is dedicated to managing properties for a living as opposed to a company that sells houses and `on the side´ dabbles a bit in property management.
6. Be Clear and Specific
Being clear and specific from the get go is crucial. You want to ask clear and specific questions and be completely upfront about the services that you are seeking. Doing this from the beginning will help avoid any unpleasant and time consuming misunderstandings later down the line.
7. The Proof is in the Pudding
Before you actually hire property management for your home, make sure that you ask to view their testimonials and/or case studies. You may even want to consider speaking with some of their current clients as well. This will help you get a better idea of how they work and how their customers have felt or feel about working with them.
8. Insurance
Make sure that the firm you are considering carries errors and omissions, a fidelity bond, general liability as well as workers compensation insurance. Always insist on looking over proof of said insurance coverage.
9. Pay Their Facilities a Visit
Take the time to stop by the facilities and look things over for yourself. Assess the overall organization of their offices, inquire as to how they handle homeowners funds, what internal checks and balances do they have in place in order to safeguard the funds of the Association?
It is very important that you hire the correct property manager, the one that will best meet your needs. Hopefully these tips outlined above will help you make the very best choice for you. Just remember that it is important you feel comfortable and work with a local company that has ample experience. Never be concerned about polling around and asking questions and make sure that your needs are clearly understood and that the company you hire is fully covered by insurance.
By keeping this in mind, taking your time and thoroughly investigating, you will find the best property manager to suit your needs in no time.
Property management tips from http://healypropertymanagement.com |