(Another) Rant about property managers

[DaveM]

Are you telling me that the PM should have grabbed a screwdriver and headed right over?

 

[Waldo]

you are exactly right, I don't think the property managers cares about the cost of maintenance as the cost goes directly to the landlord and doesn't affect their pay packet.

I feel I'm quite lucky in that I have a property manager who will always aggressively chase the best price for getting things fixed.

I'll probably be changing property managers some time in the future and I would be expecting the same level of dedication!

 

[evan1875]

The trick is to find a property manager that has been around the block a few times. Older person that has owned their own home/s and understands what can go wrong. A lot of younger property managers/officers (many still at home) don't know, understand or want to know. Also my tradesmen inform me if the issue is due to tenants neglect or one that the tenant should of fixed, in these cases I call the tenant and inform them that they will need to pay the tradesman invoice.

Is it just me or are all property managers in large RE firms the youngest and most inexperienced agents who are somewhere between the receptionist desk and team sales?

 

[evan1875]

Are you telling me that the PM should have grabbed a screwdriver and headed right over?

In the lock situation, she told me nothing more than what the tenant told her. And that is the front door could not be locked. No further details. If she couldn't ask enough questions to work out exactly what was wrong from the end of the phone then I do expect her to head over there, 5 min down the road.

But no I don't expect her to know how to use a screwdriver. That is not what I expect of my PMs. I didn't carry any tools before I headed down, to see what was happening.

 

[D.T.]

Is it just me or are all property managers in large RE firms the youngest and most inexperienced agents who are somewhere between the receptionist desk and team sales?

For quite a few the career path is reception desk -> assistant PM -> PM (or sometimes directly to PM), quite a few of these are early 20's and couldnt tell a house from a pineapple.

A much better path, imho, is owning multiple properties and seeing the different scenarios that come up. It should be a pre-requisite imho, before looking after other peoples properties.

 

[Morbius]

Is it just me or are all property managers in large RE firms the youngest and most inexperienced agents who are somewhere between the receptionist desk and team sales?

Not always, but I certainly have had an experience with an agency where property management was just a stepping stone into the sales side. Every time we got through the learning year and had a PM who was starting to get competent, they would be promoted into the sales side of the business. Needless to say this agency did not provide good service.

 

[chilliblue]

Peter Mitchell in Orange is a hands on PM. He inspects and makes recommendations on repairs, has shopped for dishwashers, put up curtains etc all for no extra fees.

Compared to another PM that we let go in a different town that would just forward the tenants email along with a "what do you want me to do".

It is hard to find a good PM and when you do, you need to hold onto them.

 

[Brits]

I know this is not very helpful advice as your properties are already far from where you live but I have chosen my investment properties close to where I live for this very reason. I self manage them and as soon as there's a problem the tenant emails me or, if it's urgent, calls me and I attend. If I cannot fix the problem myself I then get the appropriate tradesperson in.
As I only work a few days a week and even then for not many hours each day I do work it is easy for me to self manage and attend to problems.
I save oodles on management fees, letting fees and repairs and maintenance which in turn enables me to continue to work only two days a week.
I love this lifestyle and would recommend it to anyone starting in investment if they can do it.

 

[perthguy]

Is it just me or are all property managers in large RE firms the youngest and most inexperienced agents who are somewhere between the receptionist desk and team sales?

In my case, one of them was. She went out to the property to do the first home open and called the locksmith because I had not given her the front door key. This is what the locksmith told me he said to her over the phone: "I want you to take every key on the key ring, try it in the door and if it doesn't work, put it on the ground". Response: "oh, there it is". derp. Anyway, how good was the locksmith? He could have driven out and charged me a fee. He's a great bloke.

The PM's other derp was: "your blinds are all broken and need replacing". I sent my brother around and the blinds were not broken, they just needed resetting.

The biggest derp of all was when PM could not find a new tenant after the old one left. I actually heard about a guy who was looking for house in the area and told him I would arrange for PM to show him the property after work. PM agreed and then while he was waiting at the house PM texted there is a home open on Saturday. I had some choice words to the business owner at that point. Needless to say that derp is no longer my PM.

 

[Nattl3s]

Had to laugh at some of these comments. My bedroom light stopped working and had to ring an electrician to get it fixed. The first thing they said was "have you changed/checked the lightbulb?". I was instantly extremely offended - but then i remembered all the idiots out there.

 

[Chooke]

I need a new maintenance boy who will drive around to look at locks and ovens - potentially hundreds of them

If that is what you think you need to do what your clients pay you to do, then so be it.

I have come across PMs who's first solution is to call a tradie however trivial the issue is. I don't keep them long. Fortunately most have some nous and are willing to drive to the property or at least let their maintenance guy assess it.