When you’re looking for a professional property manager in Dallas Fort Worth, you’ll begin by doing some easy research online. Check out the company’s website and social media profiles. Read reviews and testimonials. Explore their services, their pricing structure, and any blogs or videos they may have posted that answer some of your most pressing questions about leasing, managing, and maintaining your rental property.
Once you’ve done that initial research, you’ll want to talk to them.
What should you talk about?
There are a few key questions that you should always ask a property manager that you may work with. Here are some of the hot topics we recommend.
Leasing Questions: Ask About Pricing, Marketing, and Screening
A long vacancy is going to be expensive, so you want to make sure you’ll be able to get your property rented quickly to great tenants. Ask about how a property manager prices your property. What kind of data do they use to arrive at a recommended rental value?
Talk about marketing strategy as well. Find out if the property manager focuses on particular websites and if they use signage or the MLS in addition to online advertising. Ask about the showing process as well. Do they have the technology to allow self-showings, or is there someone in person to show the home to every interested tenant? Why do they think that one system works better than the other?
Always ask about their screening process. Get into the details of their qualifying rental criteria. What kind of tenants are they looking for to fill your vacancy? This is an important question because you need to know what kind of tenants are being placed in your property. Find out what sorts of screening tools they use, what they use for rental criteria, and how they can be sure they’re following all fair housing guidelines and laws.
How is Dallas Fort Worth Rental Property Maintenance Handled?
A good property management company is available 24 hours a day in case there’s a maintenance emergency at your property. You also want to know how routine maintenance is handled, and whether there’s a plan for preventative maintenance.
Ask about vendors and if they’re licensed and insured. Find out how tenants report maintenance; most management companies now have an online system of reporting repairs. Find out if you’ll have access to that so you can see invoices and reports.
How are costs contained? Everyone knows that maintenance costs are rising. Prices on materials, supplies, and labor are going up. You’ll want to ask a prospective property manager what they do to protect your bottom line and keep your costs manageable.
How Does the Property Manager Protect Your Investment?
You hire a property manager to protect the value and condition of your property. How do they do that?
Inspections let you know that everything is being maintained at your home. They also let you know if the lease is being followed. A good management company will do thorough inspections before a tenant moves in and after a tenant moves out. Everything should be documented with photos, notes, and even videos. If there are inspections while a tenant is in place, ask how those are handled and whether you can expect to see inspection reports.
Talk about how the lease is enforced as well. What’s the rent collection policy? What’s their opinion on pets? How do they manage the security deposit return and hold tenants accountable?
There’s a lot to talk about when you’re hiring a Dallas Fort Worth property manager. This is a good starting point, and we’d love to tell you more. Please contact us at Assign Property Management.
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