Top 5 Questions to Ask a Property Manager Before Signing an Agreement

If you have property that you are trying to rent out right now (be it in the Michigan market or anywhere else), then you have probably thought about the fact that managing property does consume a vast amount of your time each month. This is especially true if you own several properties. This can be frustrating and time consuming, especially if you have another job that requires your time 40 hours of every work week. Even if you live in the same town that your rental properties are located in, it can be hard to keep up with all of them. This just invites tenants to take advantage of your lack of time and makes life even more frustrating for you, the property owner. There is no sense in seeing your property degrade to a point where it is not sellable or rentable to respectable tenants.

So, if you are thinking of hiring a property management company to take care of your property while you do not have the time, here is a list of the top 5 questions that you should ask them prior to signing any kind of agreement. These companies can really help you, but only if you find the right one! A bad one can make all of your problems much worse!

1. Ask them how experienced they are. Ask for references, find out how long they have been in business and how many properties they have managed. Find out how much they know about the market, about the duties and about taking care of your interests. The more experienced they are, the better.

2. Ask them if they are professional. Do they appear professional? Do they seem to handle things in a professional way? Do you think that they will be able to handle everything and look out for your best interests? And most of all, do they seem to take any kind of pride in their work?

3. How many properties do they currently manage? If they already manage some, then you can check with the owners of those properties for references. However, too many properties might mean that a company does not have time to see to your tenants as they should!

4. Do they have certification? There are a number of different organizations through which you can get your property management company certified, so ask to see any certification that the company has received. Certification usually means that they went through rigorous tests and know what they are doing.

5. Does the property management company in question work full time? If they do not, then you cannot expect to get around-the-clock service if need be. It is usually good to ensure that any property management company hired will be available at all hours.

These are five of the most important questions that you can ask any property manager. This is not a relationship that you should take lightly.

For a Michigan property management company you can trust, contact One Step Realty, Inc. and get a free property evaluation today at (800) 611-3766!