The Ultimate Guide to Increasing Productivity for Property Managers

The role of a property manager is complex and full of responsibilities. You have to care for the real estate property, make sales, collect rent, schedule maintenance, and manage residents – all in a day’s work. Whether you’re in charge of multiple units or dealing with a variety of properties, your plate is beyond full.

Thanks to your diplomatic and organizational skills, you manage to get it done each and every day. However, it can be hard to keep residents happy and maintain occupancy rates while still having some normalcy in your day.

That’s why we’ve come up with the ultimate guide to increasing productivity for property managers. You’ll learn the insider tricks and tips for handling complaints and suggestions, organizing repair requests, dealing with parking issues, and package management.

How to Handle Complaints Like a Champion

From a resident’s perspective, you’re the face of the property and the direct contact for a variety of issues. Therefore, most complaints will come to you first, big or small. Handling complaints in a systematic, professional way will help you diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.

Reduce the number of incoming complaints by setting expectations from the get-go. You’ll need to explicitly state the responsibilities of both parties in the lease. Be sure to review these with the resident and answer any questions they may have.

Take time to note the condition of the rental property before a new resident moves in. Take photos and have the new party sign off on pre-existing damage. You can also avoid minor problems by investing in and performing regular maintenance.

Despite your best efforts, you will have complaints. Keep the following tips in mind when creating a complaint management system:

• Requests should be written out to document in the issue.
• Always include the date, time, parties involved, and steps taken to resolve the issue.
• Use a tracking system to file and organize all information.
• Document follow-ups and the final resolution.

Finally, remember to always work towards positive relationships with your residents. A simple care package upon arrival can go a long way and start you off on the right foot.

How to Make the Most of Resident Suggestions

Residents can provide a different perspective and share ideas on how to make your property even better. Take advantage of these invaluable suggestions through regular surveys.

There are different types of surveys that can be used to gather information and ideas. For suggestions and feedback, semi-annual reports will give you the data you need. You can even raffle off a gift card or another prize to encourage participation.

Surveys are also useful after repairs and maintenance. Perform a check-in to ensure that the problem is truly solved. This technique will also help you step in before a problem gets worse.

Lastly, send out a newsletter with updates, news about local events, and get-togethers. Encourage residents to send in any information they’d like to share with readers. It’s all about creating a community.

Essential Steps to Organizing Processes on Repair Requests

Repairs can be a major headache. With the right process, you can make organizing requests and getting the job done a breeze. The key to it all is communication. It helps keep people feeling calm and respected.

• When creating your repair request plan, remember the guidelines below:
• Come up with a timeframe for notification and resolution.
• Aim to solve problems in as little as 24 hours.
• For matters that cannot be resolved in this timeframe, communicate with the resident about where you are in the process within 24 hours.
• Make sure any timeframes you set up follow the law.
• Next, use an online portal if possible to receive requests. Digital documentation will cut down on physical paperwork and make the process streamlined.
• If the repair is long-term, follow-up daily.
• After the repair is finished, check in with the resident and send a survey.

Indispensable Steps to Organizing Processes on Parking Issues

Parking can be a tricky matter. Residents need to have access to convenient parking spots while leaving room for emergency vehicles. Keep the situation under wraps by using these tips:

• Make sure the lease highlights rules on parking.
• Set up a timeframe for resolving matters like repairs.
• Signage is your best friend.
• Be sure to refer to local laws when marking spaces and putting up signs.
• Repaint parking lines as needed.
• Review rules for towing process before you need to actually do it.
• Hire someone to patrol the area as needed.
• Say consistent and take in feedback
• Consider adding designated visitor parking spots to help avoid disputes over “stolen” spaces.

Key Steps to Organizing Processes on Package Management

Thanks to our digital lifestyles, we’ve becoming accustomed to having instant information at our fingertips. When it comes to mail and packages, the expectations are no different. Your residents want to know when their packages have arrived as soon as possible.

Keeping up with package management on paper or with a self-made system leaves a lot of room for error. And if something goes wrong, you will be to blame.

Before selecting a new program, take inventory of your biggest problems in this area.

What are your residents complaining about most? Is it delivery time or lost packages? Do they want more communication? Use this information to hone in on your priorities.

With Package Tracking/Receiving Software, you can keep track of all of your recipient information in the cloud for easy, secure access. This will be good news for both you and your residents. You’ll love increasing satisfaction and communication while they’ll enjoy knowing they will be well informed of packages and their items will be safe and secure with you.

If you’re ready to up your productivity and dedicate your time to more pressing matters, begin the search for a package tracking software that will fit your needs.  

Things to remember when speaking with a package tracking software company:

• You will need a system that can be learned quickly.
• It’s important you and your residents can access it from different devices including mobile phones.
• You can often request customization options that will suit your needs.
• Customer service should be quick and responsive.

Companies like EZTrackIt offer free demos and consultations with no obligation to inform you of the ways a product like theirs would be the solution you are looking for.  Schedule a free demo with EZTrackIt today. 

PS – If you’re already an EZTrackIt client, you can schedule your free upgrade to Discovery today! It has the same great features you love, plus more! Click the below to get started.

Source: HubSpot