PM in Cairns please?

sailor

sailor

A couple of us on this forum have had no end of sad times with Cairns PM's. I've sacked two in the past 8 years for not doing property inspections and getting woeful tenants. (Last tenant was evicted after one week, after several visits from Mr Plod for drug parties.) For the last 5 years have done my own PM, and wanting to get a PM to do it for me now.

Then I had a great recommendation from a PI last week, but his recommendation has since left the REA.:(

So, I decided to get business-like...wrote up a list of questions to ask a potential PM (some questions lifted from Xenia's web site....great stuff there...thankyou Xenia).

Fronted up to a new PM yesterday and did the PM interview. She only got about half the questions right...how sad!:( The most important question she got wrong related to no-one being available for PM when she was on hols. Go figure!

So I need some help with this one please SS. I can supply a list of PM agencies that don't meet approval...but I don't want to get sued. Does anyone have a good PM in Cairns?
 
I use Justin at Cairns Premier Realty for an IP in Redlynch.
If anything ever happens that the PM can't deal with (I had two different PMs before him - one was excellent and one was quite good), the owner (Steve) is resposive at dealing with it (eg I had an issue with them changing their monthly statement from a tax invoice to not being a tax invoice)

I would love to know the ones to avoid if you are willing to PM because I have a friend who is looking for a PM but she is south rather than north so doesn't want to use Cairns Premier Realty.
 
I have recently signed up LJ Hooker Edge Hill...so far so good, but only a month in...they seem to have a huge rental role, but also a large PM team - about 10 I think, and it is dedicated to management. The management director is very straight down the line, but approachable. I think though the test will really only come when there is a problem of some sort.

Funnily, they also manage the company house we live in, and as a tenant they have been approachable, but have a no-nonsense attitude, which I think is a good thing as a landlord..
 
farmingfuture said:
I use Justin at Cairns Premier Realty for an IP in Redlynch.
If anything ever happens that the PM can't deal with (I had two different PMs before him - one was excellent and one was quite good), the owner (Steve) is resposive at dealing with it (eg I had an issue with them changing their monthly statement from a tax invoice to not being a tax invoice)

I would love to know the ones to avoid if you are willing to PM because I have a friend who is looking for a PM but she is south rather than north so doesn't want to use Cairns Premier Realty.
Click to expand...

Thanks Amanda...I'll check out Cairns P R.
I've PM'd you with the ones I would avoid.
 
Last edited:
Sailor,

I use LJ Hooker Edge Hill. Large team in there, whilst not perfect they have been very helpful for me.

I have a high respect for Amanda in the office. She always covers my calls when my PM is away on leave and gets me answers asap.

OSS
 
Hi Sailor,

Did you try Chris Gay of O'Connor and Gay..?

He came highly recommended by most of the forumites in a previous Cairns PM thread a while back. He is also my PM for Cairns.

He has also become Chairman of Real Estate Institute of QLD recently. I was reading Fin Review on Friday and it had a big section on Cairns property market and his thoughts on the investing climate in Cairns market.

Good luck

Harris

sailor said:
A couple of us on this forum have had no end of sad times with Cairns PM's. I've sacked two in the past 8 years for not doing property inspections and getting woeful tenants. (Last tenant was evicted after one week, after several visits from Mr Plod for drug parties.) For the last 5 years have done my own PM, and wanting to get a PM to do it for me now.

Then I had a great recommendation from a PI last week, but his recommendation has since left the REA.:(

So, I decided to get business-like...wrote up a list of questions to ask a potential PM (some questions lifted from Xenia's web site....great stuff there...thankyou Xenia).

Fronted up to a new PM yesterday and did the PM interview. She only got about half the questions right...how sad!:( The most important question she got wrong related to no-one being available for PM when she was on hols. Go figure!

So I need some help with this one please SS. I can supply a list of PM agencies that don't meet approval...but I don't want to get sued. Does anyone have a good PM in Cairns?
Click to expand...
 
Sailor,

One more thing worth mentioning about C21 in the tropics is that it is a family owned business so the sales team and property management team all own the business which means they take care of business. Maybe chat to Bill Barton and tell him Karina refererred you if you are interested. I am sure they will take good care of things. The reason I went with them was because I was so impressed with how my initial sales enquiries were handled, everybody from the person that answered the phone to the property manager I found excellent.
 
Cairns pm

Sailor

I use LJH Edge Hill and O'Connor and Gay and have been happy so far with their services.

Could you kindly pm me your list of the ones to avoid ....just in case...

Chrispy (now in Geneva) could also give you some tips...

Thanks

annE :) :) :)
 
Cairns PM interview #2

Well, I made an appointment to interview #2 today. Arrived 3 mins early and was greated by a PM I sacked 3 years ago. :eek:
REA principal and his wife invited me into the board room. I told them I wouldn't waste their time going any further, as their PM was one I'd sacked 3 years ago. He wanted to know why? I explained there were no inspections, no reports, and tenants had to be evicted after one week for drug parties. She tried to sell me on how good their 2 PM's were and put a pile of testimonials in front of me. I said thanks for their time, and if PM ever left their firm, to give me a call, and left.
Total time at interview...about 5 mins...I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
I'll check out another one from the posted list tomorrow.
 
Hi

I am back home for a short while.

I was aware that Sharon already knew Chris Gay, which is why I did not post, I thought he would already be on her list.

I like the fact that Chris owns the agency and if I have any problems I simply phone Chris and he fixes it. He has told me many times he would prefer to know when there is a problem, as its his business and he loses if an owner is unhappy. It has worked for me so far.

The main PM (Val) had a heart attack late last year, so they are currently working with Val part time and a previous chap (Michael) who left to go to Uni, working part time as well, with Robyn full time. Even though they had Val's illness problem the rents still came on time, the inspections still happened when they should and the rental increases happened like they should.

So I am happy :D

Chris
 
Hi Sailor,
I use two PMs in Cairns.

I have used LJ Hooker at Edge Hill for about 10 years now and have only had one "stuff up" in that time which Despina rectified very quickly (she is really on the ball but one of her new recruits let her down). The only other issue I have with them is that it appears to me that they haven't really kept their eyes on the market rates for rents. When it was last increased about 9 months ago it went from $175 per week to $200 per week which is a large jump but it had been behind for a while, is my guess. Each time a tenant leaves I am asked the same question "Do you think we should increase the rent?". My response is usually along the lines of "Well, you are the ones on the ground and should know what the going market rate is. I'm here in Adelaide. What would you recommend?" :rolleyes:

The other agent I use is Dianne Johnson at Harcourts Cairns City South.
She has looked after a house for me for the last 12 months or so and I have no complaints.

A general comment which seems to apply to a number of PMs I have used over the years is that there is a very high staff turnover. I have probably had about 6 or 7 PMs for one property in 10 years with the same agency.

I have used one PM in Cairns that I had to "sack" after about 18 months. She was not on the ball at all. If you PM me your list I will PM you mine and see how many are the same :D

Regards,
Chris.
 
Cairns PM interview #3

Well, I interviewed another one this arvo....O'Connor Gay...scored 15/16 on my list of criteria. Can't complain about that. Their PM (Val) has never lost a case at the tribunal.:) I'll be giving them a 6-month trial with one IP, and told him if that meets my satisfaction, they will get 4 more from me, and recommendations to all my IP-friends. So fingers crossed!
 
Glad you foudn a good one sailor.

I was going to use O&G when I was choosing PMs about 3 years ago but ended up going with CPR because they are the only REA that is very close by. From memory, O&G are southside?

If my PM ever goes rotten I will be switching to O&G.

The other one I have had recommended to me many times has their office just north of Clifton beach on the hill side of the hway rather than beachside. I can't remember what they are called though.
 
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