Finding Your First Home

Posted on: 14 January 2016

If one of your goals for the new year was to improve at your job as a property manager, work on implementing the four suggestions below. These four suggestions should help you improve in all areas of your job and be a more effective property manager this year.

#1 Set Up A Clear Communication System With The Property Owner

The first thing you need to do in order to become a more effective property manager this year is sit down and evaluate your relationship with the property owner. The owner of the property you manage is your boss, and it is important that you have a strong communication system built with them.

If you have not already, sit down and define what your role should be and what the property owner expects you to communicate with them. Choose a method of communication that you both agree to use. For example, you can agree to have an in-person meeting every month to go over what is happening with the property. Or you could choose to send a weekly up-date. The key is to choose a method together and stick to using that throughout the year. 

Having a clear communication system should improve your relationship with the property owner.

#2 Cut Down On Paperwork

It can be easy to get bogged down with paperwork. When you rely completely on paper reports and contracts, your overall efficiency can be reduced. Try to find a property management software system that works well for your properties and work on implementing that system this year. 

Implementing property management software should cut down on the amount of paperwork and hard copies that you work with, and should help you keep your files and systems more organized.

#3 Determine What Tasks To Outsource

Review everything that you ended up having to outsource last year, and determine what you want to outsource this year. For example, will you be cleaning the gutters on your own or hiring someone to do it? Will you be doing plumbing and electrical repairs, or hiring outside plumbers and electricians? 

Once you decide what you want to outsource, find professionals to help you when you need it. Research and find a roofing company, plumber, electrician and other professionals that you want to work with before you need them. That way, when you need help, you already know who you are going to call and assign the job to. 

#4 Develop A Contingency Plan

Finally, work on developing a contingency plan for the properties that you manage so that you have a set course of action to take when an emergency occurs. 

You should have contingency plans in place for fires, floods and any other natural disaster that is common to your area. You should have a contingency plan in place for little things too, like if a pipe bursts and floods someones apartment or if the power goes out to your properties for an extended period of time.

Having a contingency plan in place will make it easier for you to respond to emergencies when they arise. 

By implementing the four suggestions above, you should be able to increase your efficiency and be a more effective property manager this year. Pick a suggestion and work on implementing it today. To learn more, contact a property management company like CJ Real Estate, Inc.