Professional Property Management: Knowing When You've Found Them

A property management company is a service in high demand these days. With all the new rental law changes in Oregon, not to mention the Covid moratorium, as well as the everyday work that comes from managing a rental, it’s often required for someone else to step in and fill the gap. 

But a good property management service needs to fulfil a criteria. You need to know you are working with professionals, who are well trained and well respected in their field. It’s important to shop around and ask a lot of questions. 

And that really raises the question: what does a professional property management service need to do to be worth the time and money? 

No Doubt Over Communication 

A professional property management company will be highly effective in their ability to communicate, and you won’t feel left in the dark at any point in the process. You’ll be able to trust fully in their talents in property management, thanks to how they keep you in the loop, and immediately defer to you regarding any major decisions that need to be made. 

Seeing as most problems arising between a landlord and their property management service come from miscommunication, this is the number one area to watch out for. 

So ask some questions. How do you feel about their communication skills based on your initial meeting with them? How does the surrounding property community, such as a local housing association, feel about their particular dealings with them? 

Clear Respect for Tenancy Laws 

You need a property management company to follow the law in all regards, and as such, treat both tenants and landlords with fairness and respect. 

For example, you’d want a tenant that hasn’t been keeping up with the rent to be dealt with in a process - start by talking to them, and if further difficulties arise, start eviction proceedings. You wouldn’t want an otherwise good tenant, who’s maybe a week behind on payment, to be immediately turfed out. 

All in all, you want a property manager to know the score; are they aware of the laws in the first place? Ask about some of their processes, such as what do they do when there is a complaint about the tenant in the house, or what about an emergency with an appliance on the weekend? 

An Established Success Rate 

You’ll also want to look into a property management company’s past, before you go ahead with any agreement with them, to see just how effective they’ve been at managing properties in your area in the past. 

This home of yours is likely one of your largest investments. You don’t want it in the wrong hands. Ask how they maintain their Client Trust Bank Account. Ask how many properties they manage and how many staff members they have to properly take care of those homes. Does the owner of the company work in the office? What is the owner’s background? Are they familiar with the area? What is their vacancy rate? What is their web presence like? Most renters are finding homes online, you want to insure the company you hire has a great website that pops up on any search engine. 

Professional property management is a big game. If you want to work with the right one, call Andee today. She was born and raised in Central Oregon and has been working in the property management industry a long time! 

If you are looking for a property management company in Bend that always goes above and beyond for you, give us a call today. We aren’t the biggest, just the best.