Submitted by Admin
If you’ve been on the board of a condo or co-op or a landlord for an apartment in New York City or any large city in the U.S., chances are you would have met the dreaded property manager. There is no shortage of horror stories about property managers that are rude, inefficient, and incompetent. But that era is coming to an end. Resident satisfaction is more important than ever, and property managers need to up their game. Here are some tips for owners to find the right property manager for their building.
Fluent in Communication
A large component of property management is communication. A property manager is the liaison between the building owners and the tenants, and will often be expected to find the happy medium that keeps both sides satisfied. They may also have to manage in-house maintenance staff, contracted construction vendors, or public officials.
A property manager never sleeps. They are expected to be ready to respond to issues at any hour of the day and solve pressing problems that are affecting the residents. Some property managers have website portals with forms for residents to submit maintenance requests and urgent inquiries. However, unless they can reply to these forms promptly, these forms can be more hassle than help.
Aside from troubleshooting, property managers should be able to communicate clearly with building residents about any scheduled maintenance such as elevator repair, pool cleaning, or lobby disinfection. Residents should receive these notifications at least two weeks before the scheduled dates so that they can respond accordingly to requests. The same goes for routine unit inspections.
On Top of All Things
Maintaining the value and quality of the property in question is central to the property manager’s role. Routine inspections and preventative maintenance will allow you to have a good overall view of the health of the property and remedy small issues before they become big problems. Keeping the building in tip-top shape not only makes owners happy but also shows residents that you are serious about their wellbeing.
Property managers should use checklists to ensure that they do not miss any tasks that have to be done. From a daily maintenance checklist to a broader monthly property health inspection, working off a checklist can assist managers and building maintenance staff in covering all bases. Keeping documentation of all repair and maintenance actions can also help owners prove due diligence if there are any disputes.
Although you may be taking fabulous care of your property, accidents do happen. A burst pipe or a stuck elevator can rapidly take your resident satisfaction level down to zero. In such cases, property managers need to have a team of trusted staff and vendors ready to fix problems. If your manager responds quickly but the repairman takes several days to show up, the bad press will still fall on your shoulders.
Engaging and Proactive
Resident satisfaction is important for property managers. Happy and contented tenants are stable tenants and consistent sources of income for owners. Resident feedback is a valuable way for property managers to improve their service. Property managers should be able to respond to feedback—positive or negative—with grace and authenticity. You can also allow direct feedback from residents to hear unbiased reviews on how your property managers are doing.
The property manager is the curator of the community. They screen new tenants, keep existing ones happy, and deal with problematic residents. Some large properties hire a community manager for the specific purpose of engaging residents and building a community vibe. Community managers keep residents updated on social events happening in the area and host resident gatherings such as potlucks or pool parties.
For properties with fewer doors, the property manager will often take on the role of the community manager. By building individual relationships with the residents, property managers will become trusted confidants and will receive genuine feedback and suggestions. When they understand the residents, property managers can be proactive in making adjustments that will make your tenants happy and your building a wonderful place to live.
Taking it Online
Last but not least, use technology to your advantage. It is the 21st century and we can order transport and groceries at the press of a button, so why not bring that innovation into property management? A group of creative property managers has revolutionized NYC property management by creating a digital property management platform.
The platform offers instant chat, personalized updates, building feeds, and a host of features for residents to get the information and assistance that they need in seconds. For building owners, it provides vendor recommendations, maintenance scheduling, and digital financials. The platform can even renegotiate vendor contracts and save you thousands of dollars.
Modern problems require modern solutions. Letters, forms, and telephone calls are a thing of the past. The tech-savvy residents of today love responsiveness and progress updates. By streamlining the communication and property management process, both building owners and residents can look forward to more comfort and contentment. Say goodbye to the grumpy property managers of yesterday and hello to better customer service and building control.