Sometimes property managers can be their own worst enemies!
Many property managers are professional and effective in what they do but some are just plain bad and have many detrimental habits that make it hard, not just for them but also for their tenants, landlords, and others they work with.
This list of worst habits has been compiled from a recent Facebook post asking ‘What are the worst habits that property managers have?’
Feel you might be suffering from any of these habits? The best thing you can do is admit it, change and make sure these habits become a thing of the past.
So, here are the 13 worst habits that property managers have – according to property managers themselves:
#1- Not following through on requests!
Every little request becomes an issue if it isn’t followed up and ticked off. From landlord missing statement requests to keys not cut – things left undone come back and bite you later on!
#2- Not returning calls and emails
Nothing insults a client or tenant more than calls and emails not being returned. If this issue is a regular problem with a property manager, it suggests they lack a sense of urgency and lack the care factor.
#3- Not switching off after-hours!
When you visit personal friends at their home and note how they are living and what repairs need to be done, and is it clean enough and ‘if they were my tenant I’d…’. You get the idea!
#4- Ignoring and procrastinating on urgent issues
Deliberately stalling on the action, pushing it onto the ‘back-burner’ when it’s urgent, and not handling things in order of their importance is a sure way to cause big issues. Just do it!
#5- Lack of file and communication notes
‘If it’s not file noted it didn’t get done,’ should be the motto of all property managers. There should be a trail of notes on each issue handled, and not just accessible from someone’s head! This is a real issue when someone goes on holiday and there are no notes in the system detailing what occurred.
#6- Treating the tenant as second best
This is a huge issue. Tenants are a partner in the transaction and without the rent being paid, the agency gets no income. Respecting the tenant and their home and how comfortable they are in it needs to be the priority for every property manager.
#7- Not taking a lunch break
When most property managers consider a lunch break as just an interruption to their workflow, many find that when they take a regular lunch break, they enter the second part of their day with better productivity and balance.
#8- Not taking responsibility
Having a good attitude in property management is essential. Not taking responsibility for one’s actions only results in pain for the property manager, and everyone else. Taking ‘ownership’ and having a ‘do whatever it takes to get the job done,’ attitude is essential for success.
#9- Hiding issues and mistakes
There are things that just shouldn’t happen, but do! If a property manager knows they’ve done the wrong thing and hides the problem, it will only stay hidden for so long before it blows up and causes damage. If this is a regular problem, it really does expose integrity issues.
#10- Not following checklists
A rampant problem in the industry. Following checklists gives you speed (you don’t have to think about what happens next) and also quality because when the checklist is structured right, it shows you all the steps to get the job done right the first time around.
#11- Lack of daily task planning
Starting your day without a list of what you need to do in order of priority means you will be working 2-3 times slower and at the mercy of whatever task screams at you the loudest. This will give you a sense of ‘out of control’, causing stress and burnout.
#12- Being too easily distracted
When the email inbox bell, your phone, SMS texts, and Facebook messages all get your attention first, you will be working on ‘interruption mode’ and that means your tasks will take 2-3 times more time to do them, than if you just slammed out task time uninterrupted.
#13- Not doing routine inspections thoroughly enough
When clients receive their routine inspection with just a lot of blanks and minimal detail, it screams to the clients they just received a lack of value. Delight your client with a good balance of detail and information so they can clearly see what’s really going on at the property.