Property Manager · Greenville, SC · Member since 2013 · 62 posts · 26 votes
I own a Property Management Company in Greenville, S.C.. We have been growing steadily since we started the business . I'm getting to the point where I will need to hire another employee in the next 6 months, but I'm just not sure what that position should be.
We currently manage just under 200 properties with 1 PM (all leasing and tenant relations), 1 assistant, and myself (client management, maintenance, project management, and general management of the business). We also do a lot of rehabbing for our clients, and our own projects, so my time is mostly spent on those projects.
I'm thinking of hiring a maintenance manager, but not sure if that is the right direction. We will most likely be managing 250 properties by mid 2018.
Real Estate Broker · Tulsa- OKC Oklahoma · Member since 2017 · 868 posts · 801 votes
9y
Maintenance manager! If you have some else you have trained to take those calls and do all the scheduling on rehabs and turn overs you will have significantly more time to work with new owners. It will free you up to work on your business and not in your business.
Real Estate Broker · Tulsa- OKC Oklahoma · Member since 2017 · 868 posts · 801 votes
9y
Maintenance manager! If you have some else you have trained to take those calls and do all the scheduling on rehabs and turn overs you will have significantly more time to work with new owners. It will free you up to work on your business and not in your business.
Investor · McKinney, TX · Member since 2016 · 50 posts · 26 votes
9y
I don't have any advice but I do have some questions if you don't mind. How do you handle the urgent and late night maintenance requests by yourself for that many properties? How frequent are those kinds of requests?
Property Manager · Greenville, SC · Member since 2013 · 62 posts · 26 votes
9y
Kevin,
Our tenants email all maintenance requests through their tenant portal (so no live phone calls). I've found that true "emergencies" are few and far between, but when they do come in I get the appropriate contractor to the property right away. I think the key to handling the volume is having very good relationships with my contractors.
As a former plumber I feel like I truly know what is important to contractors. I pay them very quickly, I don't beat them up on every quote, and I treat them with respect. That goes a long way with them, and in return they will drop everything get my calls done.
Investor · Verona, NJ · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 832 votes
9y
Brian, as a contractor, that is well said ( your last post) I treat the contractors the same as i would want to be treated and they are happy to do the work for me, my properties are in another state and i hire local contractors to do the work. my first gut answer was going to say a maintenance manager, to schedule all the repairs, but you may want to take a few minutes and sit down and figure where most of the time is spent, and that's the void you need to fill. i also agree with @Tracy Streich and hire the person that will help you work on the business and not in it. My first property, i did all the work to fix it up, aside from it being 3 hrs away from me, i learned after that one that my time was best spent running the business rather than doing it myself, i hire local contractors or use my PM maintenance crew to do the work.