But with so many property managers out there, how do you know what makes not just a good property manager, but an excellent one?
Here are some of our thoughts:
Keeps You Legal
Property legislation and regulations are in place for many reasons to protect both the landlord and the tenant. Properties need to be safe to live in, and there needs to be a clear understanding of what is expected from both parties.
From smoke alarms requirements and pool safety, to discrimination and animals, Real Estate and Property Management does come with a few rules and regulations. We ensure all of our properties adhere to the law and that we act within the law.
Zero Tolerance On Rental Arrears
Because we screen prospective tenants, rental arrears are generally rare, and we believe this proactive approach also keeps our tenants on track. Every business day we are checking exactly where your tenants are paid up to and should they be a day late, often a simple text message reminder does the trick.
If this does not fix the situation however, our Property Managers are quickly on the phone to find out why and rectify the situation. This is usually sufficient in most instances, but should the tenant remain in arrears, we automatically serve them with a formal breach notice on the 8th day for them to remedy, with a further notice to vacate on the 15th day if the remedy did not occur.
Devil Is In The Detail
To ensure the tenancy starts on a good footing, we do our utmost to ensure that rental properties in our care are always ready to be a comfortable home for your tenants.
We take the time to highlight to our property investors what decorating, maintenance and repairs need to be done to potentially increase rental return, as well as we ensure the property is handed to the tenant in the best possible condition. This creates a positive start to the tenancy relationship and your tenants are more likely to maintain the same level of care.
We also get to know our properties. We know the building's layout, the available utilities, and any quirks the property may have. That way, we know what to look out for, and if we have to call on our team of trades to fix a problem, we can advise accordingly.
Strategic Marketing
Our vacancy rate is always well below the Sunshine Coast average, and we achieve this with our dedicated leasing manager. Their role is to solely focus on marketing your home and extensively vetting all applications that are received. Only then do we present quality tenant applications for your consideration.
We focus our marketing on targeting the right audience. By professionally marketing your property online with quality photos, a virtual tour, and an accurate description of your property, we entice people to view it.
We have built up a database of tenants who are currently looking for properties, with many having been matched to specific properties such as yours. We notify them of our latest properties that have been listed, that match their profiles, each week.
Generally, prospective tenants have a favourite website they view when looking for a new home and usually only look at that one site. To ensure we reach as close as possible to 100% of people looking for rental properties, we market across 14 different websites.
Moving With The Times
The digital world is enabling more to be done electronically, making things very convenient for both parties.
From accepting online applications, to moving many rental tasks online (such as online signing or maintenance requests), we make life a lot easier for the tenant, and can provide them with a better rental experience.
The feedback from our owners' online portal is that it is a convenient and a comprehensive way of managing rental properties. Landlords who use our portal can view statements, financial reporting, ongoing maintenance, upcoming events, inspection reports and more.
Furthermore, our tenants love our portal as they can see their statements, create new maintenance requests, see upcoming events, access receipts, rental information and much more.
Creates Value For Your Property
With our regular inspections, we quickly pick up on any maintenance or repairs that are needed, ensuring they are completed cost effectively and in a timely manner. In doing so, we are keeping your property in the best condition it can be.
Our rental return is kept in line with the current market, with lease renewals commencing months out from the fixed term expiry, allowing time enough to ensure the 60 days' notice is provided in line with any rent increase. This also allows us to be proactive to find new quality tenants to avoid a vacant property, should the current tenants opt to vacate.
Our motto is very simple – we treat every property as if it was one of our own.