Feedback and recs for metro ATL property management companies?

[David Deriso]

I have a couple of SFH rentals in metro Atlanta area and I'm interested in feedback and referrals for property management companies as I am considering making a switch from who I currently use.

I've used the same one for the past 2 years. It was a smaller company that got purchased by a larger company that rebranded itself about a year ago. Since the buy-out, the costs of service have gone steadily higher to the point where I feel like I am being taken advantage of. When a water heater went out at one home, the estimate from the property management company to replace the water heater was 3x what I was able to get by just hiring someone myself to do it.

If you have a property manager that serves metro Atlanta and you are happy with their service, please DM me. I'm happy to share more details of my experience for anyone else who is curious.

[Brenden Mitchum]

Hey @David Deriso, welcome to the BP community!

I'd be happy to recommend a couple property managers that my previous clients have been really happy with. I will say that in the past year I've made a switch from general investment clients to specifically co-living clients. So, my clients have not had use of these traditional PMCs and I'm not fully up to date with their operations. However, last I checked, one was small and the other medium sized and both very customer service focused with reasonable fees. 

PM me anytime and I'll get you their contact info.

[Drew Sygit]

@David Deriso

In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make when selecting a Property Management Company (PMC) is ASSUMING instead of CONFIRMING.

It's often a case of not doing enough research, as they don't know what they don't know!

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator.

So, the first question they usually ask a PMC is about fees - instead of asking about services and HOW those services are executed.

EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean? What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.? You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!

This also leads owners to ASSUME simpler is better when it comes to management contracts.

The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!

We have a 14-page management contract that we've added our real experiences to over the years, with the intent of protecting both us AND the landlord. Beyond the Monthly Management, Placement & Maintenance fees, all other fees in our contract are IF EVENT -> THEN fees.

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processes

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

P.S. If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general. Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊

[Stephanie Meeks]

I've been using Mynd property management, and I like them so far!

[Jordan Lawson]

I would love to answer any questions and help in anyway if you're still looking around?