Florida is home to many hotspots which people from across the United States are moving to. Among these towns is none other than Sarasota, as its increasing educational and career opportunities are enticing people to make this move. As if socioeconomic factors weren’t enough, the amazing weather and attractions are added benefits and offer even more incentive to relocate.
This provides property managers an abundance of potential tenants who are looking for a place to stay. However, there are several precautions that these managers, especially the rookies, need to take in order to make sure they find the perfect tenants and provide a reliable service. If you happen to be in a similar situation, here are five tips you should follow so that you build a successful business for yourself and great relationships with your tenants in Sarasota.
Be Familiar with Your Property
The best businessmen are familiar with their products and services, inside and out. For property managers, it’s best to know everything about the advertised house or apartment so that they are able to answer any and all questions that tenants might have. This knowledge also comes in handy when you are considering selling the property, as issues pertaining to HVAC systems or pipelines must be addressed beforehand.
One of the reasons why people choose certain places as their home is because of what they are able to do in the area. Property owners can have an easier time finding tenants by knowing what’s in close proximity, whether it’s schools for children or jobs for people who are starting out their careers. It also helps to let people know what options are available within walking distance or even a short drive away. Potential tenants would be thrilled to hear about nearby beaches, restaurants, shopping centers, or amusement parks.
Keep in Contact with Tenants
Making it easy for customers to contact you in case of a question or emergency gives them an easier time trusting you. In the case of property managers, the best thing is to provide tenants with phone numbers, email addresses, and other ways to stay in contact. You might be hesitant to give out your personal number, but if you’re ever away for a weekend and the property gets damaged during a rainstorm or any other emergency, it’s best that the tenant has a way of contacting you at all times.
Uses as Many Advertising Avenues as Possible
Traditionally, managers advertised their available properties through local newspaper posts or by placing a “for rent” sign in the front lawn. While these methods can be helpful today, the digital world has become a more convenient and efficient way of acquiring tenants.
You can use a variety of websites that will advertise your property for free, or you can set up your own website to customize all the information you would like to provide. Email listings serve as an easy way for you to keep in touch with current and potential tenants about openings, and social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter let you show photos and videos of your services so that people can put a face to your name and develop a greater sense of trust.
Screen Your Tenants
It’s important that your tenants prove that they can be trusted just as much as you must do so. Screenings allow you to get a better understanding of whether the prospect can be trusted to care for the property, be it through employment history and current status, a background check that may reveal any criminal record, or if they have any pets.
Screening tenants, however, can be time consuming, especially if they don’t follow the guidelines that you make available to them prior to registration. This can be solved with a pre-screening survey that you can attach to your email listings. This extra step will alert interested candidates to your prerequisites and ideal tenant to know whether they should continue on with the application or search elsewhere.
Build Relationships with Staff
It is rare that property managers work without a staff. Therefore, it is necessary for property managers to ensure that all members of their team are on the same page in terms of their tasks and deadlines. The best ways for staff members to work as a trusting group is through group meetings in which everyone is made familiar with their specific duties as well as the tenants that they need to maintain contact with.
Meetings can serve as a chance for anyone to ask questions or bring up concerns that may affect the services your company provides. This will also be an opportunity for trust to increase among your team. The most successful people involved in property management Sarasota have as many staff members as possible readily available to answer any questions that tenants may have.
Put these tips into practice so that you are able to enjoy success managing property in Sarasota right off the bat.