Best Property Management Companies in Albany NY
I am currently looking for a property manager for a three unit rental property I recently purchased. Someone recommended Integrity Property Management to me, however, I would like to know if there are any other companies anyone would recommend based on their experience. Any advice is much appreciated, thank you!
- Property Manager
- Royal Oak, MI
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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”:
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😊
I'd encourage you to connect with @Ryan Vienneau of Veno Properties, as he's been a wealth of knowledge for me over the years. Good luck -Steve
Wow. That is awesome advice. Thank you some much. I will look into comparing the contracts. I often do get caught up in comparing fee as opposed to services. Rookie mistake but I am learning. Thank you for helping me avoid an avoidable mistake. Yes. My mistakes are on mines to own. But thankfully, so are the lessons.
I also would recommend Veno @Ryan Vienneau. They are great!
Quote from @Drew Sygit:
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”:
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😊
Thank you for the expensive advice!! I am looking for a pm in Charleston west virgina
Quote from @Steven Luttman:
I'd encourage you to connect with @Ryan Vienneau of Veno Properties, as he's been a wealth of knowledge for me over the years. Good luck -Steve
Thank you so much for the referral!
Quote from @Nate Monson:
I also would recommend Veno @Ryan Vienneau. They are great!
Thank you so much for the referral!
You've got the recommendation before in this thread, but I use Veno Properties (Ryan Vieneau) and couldn't be happier.
@William Principal We would be happy to help, check us out, Veno Properties. And thanks @Rob Gifford, @Nate Monson, and @Steven Luttman for the referrals!