How much input as a landlord, is too much? I cant do their job and mine....

[Peta]

Dear Brains Trust,

I have an agent who keeps putting up dodgy photos of my rental property. The hosue is up for rent for $500/wkbecasue its 6 beds / 3 living areas / 2 outdoor entertaining areas with each room fully furnished and equipped. We decided that this rent is fair considering all the inclusions, location and quality of the house but since this is the price tag, wouldnt it make sense to best show off the property with decent photos? Isnt it?

Why then, is there only a photo of the house from the road (I am the first to admit that there is NO street appeal - this jem is a jem on the inside at least while its a rental) and a half one of the bath? The other two are so blurry that they make me dizzy! Why is there no photos of the living rooms, deck view or bedrooms since these are the features I am trying to promote?

Does anyone else have similar problems? I feel like I have to do their job for them or make suggestions to improve. If I was the potential tenant looking at the website, the website is as far as my enquiry for this house would go - for $500/wk, the ad certainly does not reflect the inclusions or show the quality -

what are they paying for, an ugly house with half a bath and motion sickness....

How can this be resolved. Any ideas?

 

[marg4000]

Communication is the key.

Ring the PM immediately and ask for internal digital photos to be taken and uploaded to the website. Mention any particular feature that you feel should be shown.

Sadly, having a PM is not a case of "set and forget". PMs need supervision, reminders where necessary and clear instructions of what you require.
Marg

 

[Peta]

Hi Marg4000,

The annoying thing is that I did supply a full CD of photos taken by a professional photographer of each room and at different angles so I could be sure the photo quality for the ads is high - I have seen many ads where the photos really let the property down.

 

[GoAnna!]

Hi Marg4000,

The annoying thing is that I did supply a full CD of photos taken by a professional photographer of each room and at different angles so I could be sure the photo quality for the ads is high - I have seen many ads where the photos really let the property down.

No-one cares about your business as much as you do. Obviously you do care how your property is marketed and have gone so far as to get your own professioanl photos done. I suspect there is miscommunication between staff members, which will happen even with the best PM, and you need to keep your finger on the pulse and in this case ring up and remind them that you wish your professional photos to be used. They will soon learn what standards you are setting. As a manager you still do need to manage those you delegate to to achieve the best possible results.

 

[steveadl]

Sounds like the PM is being lazy by just using the standard photos they already had on their system/RP Data etc perhaps from when the house was last listed for sale/lease. That's what my PM often uses, but doesn't bother me as they get leased immediately. If I was worried about it I'd ask her to take some new photos.

Insist she use the professional photos you supplied her, shouldn't be that difficult for them!

 

[twobobsworth]

Dear Brains Trust,

I have an agent who keeps putting up dodgy photos of my rental property.

If this is a problem why do you keep putting up with it?

 

[boomtown]

I use professional photos and require the PM to use them. This is something that I have to chase them on - seems to be a common problem.

 

[Novar]

Peta
Is this property still without tennants since your last post about it, three four mths ago?

I'd be telling the agent which photo's I want and also considering less rent just to get a tennant.

 

[vbplease]

From what i get in the mail and what I was reading in the latest edition of property investor - property managers are screaming out for available rentals to keep up with the rental demand!

This makes me wonder why..

Why would someone put up with a lazy PM?

Why not exploit PM's to get professional photos included, don't take the first weeks rent (i think is the going rate??).

 

[The Y-man]

This makes me wonder why...

If it's the property I think it is, it is regional, and the second most expensive property out of 159 available....

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[RumpledElf]

I was looking at houses in my area today (boy, are they ever expensive) and one had an entire collection of photos of the ceilings of the rooms. Pink walls, blue walls, yellow walls, all nicely offset by pretty white cornices. The kitchen and bathroom had nice celing fans. Mmmkay, does this house have floors? Is there something wrong with the floors?

Another agent around here that I've already mentioned for always taking the cheaper houses on ... well, the photos in their ads always always always are blurry, poorly framed and crap.

In the scheme of things you're probably getting completely average service.

 

[Peta]

Y - man,

Its difficult because the hosue is so big and has everything you need - you just have to move in with your clothes and becasue this is the case, I cant give the place away.

Novar,

Yes same place. I have had a tenant - 3 French exchange students rented the whole house (6 bedrooms) for $550/wk for the 3 months they were here. They could have rented it just as a 4 bedder (and I close off the extra rooms downstairs) but the agent told them it was only available as a 6 bedder to get the best rent for me I suppose. It suited them down to the ground coz all they had to do was move in with their clothes.



I will be putting the place back with the other agent I fired at the start of the year - the only one that does rent by the room becasue this will be cheaper for the students (and includes utilities and internet) and makes the most of the renovations and the furniture I have paid for originally to set up up on a rooming basis.

Thanks for your replies, its good to know that its not just me...