Should I Hire a Professional Property Manager?
apartments.com/Megan Bullock • February 8, 2021
It’s true what you’ve heard — property managers can be an immense help for small-asset landlords like yourself. It’s also true that property managers are a luxury that not all landlords can afford. So before you decide if you can afford one (and need one), let’s dive into what a property manager actually is and what they can do for you.
What Is a Property Manager?
The name is pretty self-explanatory here — a property manager manages property. But what do they do on the day-to-day? A property manager is an employee hired by a landlord to manage the everyday work that goes into a rental property. A property manager:
- Sets the rent for the rental property
- Collects rent from tenants
- Adjusts rent according to competition and market value
- Advertises property to find tenants
- Screens tenants
- Deals with the leasing process
- Handles complaints and emergencies from tenants
- Deals with move-ins and move-outs
- Handles evictions (if it comes to that)
- Schedules maintenance and repairs to the rental property
- Deals with finance and budget aspects
- Keeps things organized and running smoothly
Seems like a lot of responsibilities, doesn’t it? If you’re a landlord, then you’re balancing all of these responsibilities on your own. If things are starting to get hectic, you may want to consider hiring a property manager. Not sure what you want in a property manager? A few qualities will make one stand out from the rest.
Qualities of a Property Manager to Look For:
The most important aspect to consider when hiring a property manager is their attitude. You want someone who is dedicated to keeping the line of communication open, while being able to maintain the property without contacting you frequently with questions and concerns. Their main purpose is to assure you that your investment is being properly taken care of – not only your investment in the property, but your investment in the property manager.
You May Want to Hire a Property Manager If:
- You have too many properties to manage alone. Many landlords can only handle a few properties at a time – so if you’re managing five to ten (or more) properties on your own, you may want to consider gaining the assistance and expertise of a professional property manager. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your properties and tenants are in good hands.
- You live far from your properties. Do you live more than an hour from your properties? If so, it may be in your best interest to speak with a local property manager who has quick and easy access to the area your rental property is located in. If you’re a long-distance landlord, then you will need to have contacts within the area of your rental property for any maintenance issues or emergencies that arise with the property or tenant. Make it easier on yourself by hiring a local property manager!
- You’re not very familiar with the business. If you don’t enjoy keeping track of every detail of a business, or if you don’t feel secure enough in your knowledge of managing rental properties, then property management probably doesn’t suit you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t own the property – simply hire a property manager who can help you with the parts of the job you prefer not to do (or aren’t comfortable doing), such as marketing the property, screening tenants, collecting rent, dealing with maintenance, etc.
- You’re too busy. Perhaps being a landlord isn’t your full-time job – if you have another career, then you may be too busy to be both the owner and manager of your rental property. Lessen your stress by hiring a professional property manager who can help you keep things in order.
- You have the funds to hire a property manager. There are some properties that you probably don’t need (or can’t afford) to hire a property manager for. But if you feel that you have a surplus of funds to do so without going underwater, then it’s probably a good idea to hire a professional. You’ll feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders knowing that your rental property is being managed efficiently. Property managers or property management companies can charge various amounts for their services. You can expect to pay between 8-12% of the monthly rental value of the property, or you may be charged a flat monthly rate depending on the value of the property.
- You’re struggling to fill your vacant units. We can’t all be marketing pros – and that’s okay! If you’re having trouble filling your units, and you find that they are often vacant despite your efforts, then you’ll likely benefit from the marketing techniques of a professional property manager. They can help you advertise your property and get more tenants interested in and applying to rent your unit.
- If you're still wondering if you should hire a property manager, remember that the most important factor to consider here is budget. If you feel that a property manager would keep you from getting a positive return on your investment (your rental property), then it may be best to continue to do the work yourself. But if you have the funds, and you lack time (amongst other things), then consider relying on the support of a property manager — the choice is yours!
Share this post
One of the more nerve-wracking parts of even thinking about buying a house for many potential buyers is the concern that their credit score isn’t good enough. It’s no surprise, because you hear plenty of things about how important a strong credit score is when it comes time to buy a house. Unfortunately, when you hear that term thrown around, it might sound like you need a perfect credit score. In fact, a recent survey found that 66% of respondents said they thought you need a near-perfect credit to secure the best interest rate. There’s a good reason for that recommendation. A strong credit score will certainly make qualifying for a mortgage easier, and probably get you better rates, terms, and loan options. Fortunately, that’s not the case! When Chasing Perfection Becomes a Problem It’s common (and completely understandable) to feel like you don’t have the best credit score possible. Very few people do. According to Experian , only about 1.76% of consumers have a perfect score of 850. So aiming for perfection is likely a stretch for most home buyers right out of the gate. The issue isn’t that people want to improve their credit. That’s always a good thing. The problem is when the assumption that it needs to be perfect causes people to delay the process entirely. Instead of finding out where they stand, they wait. They assume they’re not ready. They put off having a conversation with a mortgage professional. And in some cases, they spend years trying to hit a number that may not have even been necessary in the first place. Meanwhile, they could have already been exploring their options—or at least working toward a clear, realistic goal instead of guessing. There’s a Fairly Wide Range of Acceptable Credit Scores That same survey, highlighted by HousingWire , points to a pretty big disconnect between what people think they need… and what lenders are actually looking for. Because while a lot of buyers assume they need to be close to perfect, most loan programs don’t require anything near that. In reality, there’s a fairly wide range of acceptable credit scores depending on the type of loan, the lender, and the overall financial picture. Many buyers are approved with credit that’s simply solid—not flawless. There are even loan programs designed specifically for buyers who have what might be considered “bad” credit. While a higher score can absolutely help when it comes to rates and options, it’s not always the barrier to entry people think it is. There’s a good chance the bar isn’t quite as high as you’ve been led to believe. The Best Way to Know Where You Stand It’s nearly impossible to generalize what you “need” in order to buy a home when it comes to credit. There are too many variables. Different loan programs. Different lenders. Different guidelines. And each one can look at the same financial profile a little differently. Which is why the only real way to know where you stand is to actually have a conversation. Actually, make that conversations. Don’t bank on just one lender. (Pun intended!) Talking to a few can give you a much clearer picture of what’s possible—and you may find you have more options than you expected. One lender might say no, while another sees a way to make it work. That happens more often than people realize. Even if you’re not quite there yet and do need to improve your credit, at least you’re no longer guessing. You’ll know exactly where you stand, what needs to improve, and what kind of timeline you’re realistically looking at. If you’re not sure where to start or which lenders to reach out to, a buyer’s agent can be a great resource. They can connect you with reputable lenders, help you compare your options, and give you a little extra perspective as you sort through it all. The Takeaway: A recent survey found that many potential homebuyers believe they need near-perfect credit to qualify for a mortgage—or at least to secure a good interest rate. In reality, most buyers are purchasing homes with credit that’s far from “perfect,” and there’s a fairly wide range of loan programs designed to work with different financial situations. The bigger issue is that this misconception can cause people to delay exploring their options altogether. If buying a home is something you’ve been considering, the best thing you can do is talk to a few lenders and see what they can offer based on your current credit—rather than waiting to improve your score to a level that may not even be necessary.
This is a subtitle for your new post
Imagine you had to become a real estate agent tomorrow and help someone buy a house from start to finish. Think you’d know everything you need to know? Even if you feel pretty confident, there’s a good chance you’d run into a bit of a learning curve. There are a lot of moving parts in a real estate transaction, and most of what people know about the process tends to come from bits and pieces they pick up along the way. So it’s not all that surprising that, according to a recent survey from HousingWire , about 85% of homeowners said they wished they knew more before buying. Most of them probably did some homework and learned a lot as they went. But looking back, they realized there were things they would’ve liked to understand ahead of time. One of the biggest takeaways from the survey is that 13% of respondents believed they needed a 20% down payment to buy a home. That’s kind of surprising when you consider how often this topic comes up. It’s something agents talk about all the time, post about on social media, mention in conversations… to the point where it starts to feel like common knowledge. But clearly, it’s not something every home buyer (or potential home buyer) knows. So if you take nothing else away from this article, just know that you likely do not need 20% down to buy a house. Why Do People Still Think They Need to Put 20% Down? Years ago, putting 20% down was almost always required. Lending guidelines were tighter, loan options weren’t as flexible, and in many cases, that was just what buyers were expected to bring to the table. Over time, loan programs evolved, new options became available, and buyers started purchasing homes with far less money down than they used to. But somehow the idea that you need a 20% down payment never entirely went away. Part of that is likely because it’s still the benchmark for avoiding private mortgage insurance (PMI), which can lower your monthly payment. So it can come across as somewhat of an ideal thing to do. In reality, though, most buyers are putting down quite a bit less. In fact, the survey found that 72.6% of respondents put down 10% or less when they purchased their home. That Belief Could Be the Only Thing Stopping You From Buying a Home Based on those numbers, it’s pretty clear that a lot of buyers do figure out at some point that they don’t actually need 20% down. They get into the process, start asking questions, talk to the right people, and somewhere along the way, that misconception gets cleared up. But what if you never get that far? While plenty of buyers eventually learn they don’t need as much for a down payment as they first believed, there are likely a lot of potential homeowners sitting there thinking they need to hit that 20% mark before they can even start the conversation. Maybe you’re actively saving and assuming it’s going to take years. Or maybe you’ve just written it off altogether and figure it’s not even worth exploring yet. And if that’s the case, that belief alone could be the thing holding you back from finding out what’s actually possible. The reality is, what you qualify for depends on a lot of variables—income, credit, loan programs, and more—but the only way to really know is to explore it. That’s where talking to a real estate agent can make a big difference. They can help guide you, connect you with the right professionals, and walk you through not just down payment options, but the entire process. Don’t feel like you need to wait until you’re “ready” or have a full down payment saved before reaching out. The earlier you start the conversation, the better. Even if buying a home is just something you hope to do someday… that day may be sooner than you think. The Takeaway: A recent survey found that most homeowners wish they had known more before buying. One of the biggest misconceptions was about down payments. A surprising number of people still believe they need 20% down, even though most buyers are actually putting down far less. While plenty of buyers eventually learn they don’t need as much for a down payment as they first believed, there are likely a lot of potential homeowners sitting there thinking they need to hit that 20% mark before they can even start the conversation. If that sounds familiar, it may be worth reaching out to an agent and starting the conversation sooner than you think. You don’t need to have a down payment fully saved before reaching out—and you might even find that buying a home is more within reach than it seems.
