Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2015 · 67 posts · 23 votes
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH & Cleveland OH · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1y
@Kendra Mattson If you are looking in the Cleveland, Oh market I would recommend being in areas on the West Side of Cleveland like West Blvd, Cudell, Old Brooklyn, Clark Fulton, Edgewater, Jefferson, and Brooklyn Centre. The reason is the rent-to-price ratio is good so you can cash flow, and most of the West side doesn’t have a Point of sale inspection which is really annoying.
Hi Kendra. Are you able to go to Cleveland and meet a few in person? That's what I would do. Who are the other investors working with?
And, you mentioned you're diversifying - do you own rentals only locally, or out of state as well? Out of state is more challenging than as it's been presented. Given the current rate environment I believe the benefit of out of state has diminished, even for those in HCOL areas like CA.
Hi Kendra. Are you able to go to Cleveland and meet a few in person? That's what I would do. Who are the other investors working with?
And, you mentioned you're diversifying - do you own rentals only locally, or out of state as well? Out of state is more challenging than as it's been presented. Given the current rate environment I believe the benefit of out of state has diminished, even for those in HCOL areas like CA.
Hi Nicholas! I hadn't planned to go to Cleveland to meet people before finding a place, but I am open to it. I own in NorCal and SoCal, so nothing out of state but the SoCal property is managed by a company so I have experience with that aspect. I haven't been able to find anything that cash flows without a very significant down payment, which is why I have been looking out of state. Could you elaborate on difficulties you see as being more challenging than presented? I know someone who says time zone differences have caused him issues, and I definitely prefer California for my knowledge/confidence in good/bad areas. What else am I missing?
Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH & Cleveland OH · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1y
@Kendra Mattson If you are looking in the Cleveland, Oh market I would recommend being in areas on the West Side of Cleveland like West Blvd, Cudell, Old Brooklyn, Clark Fulton, Edgewater, Jefferson, and Brooklyn Centre. The reason is the rent-to-price ratio is good so you can cash flow, and most of the West side doesn’t have a Point of sale inspection which is really annoying.
Real Estate Agent · Columbus & Cleveland, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Hey Kendra, There are a couple great PM companies in Cleveland. I'd be glad to send you some referrals.
When looking online, I would make sure to read what the reviews are actually saying because a lot of people are leaving bad reviews on these companies because they either had a bad experience with real estate and want to point fingers or are unhappy tenants.
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Real Estate Agent · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Hi, Kendra! From my experience, having a trustworthy PM makes all the difference when investing remotely. I’d suggest asking folks here privately for their go to managers since many investors are usually willing to share the ones they actually trust once you reach out directly. As for areas, focus on spots with steady rental demand, near job hubs or strong working class neighborhoods where tenants tend to stay longer. Are you leaning toward single family or small multis for your first purchase? Happy to keep the conversation going!
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Thanks!
I've got great PM's that I work with in Cleveland. Probably the best one there. Responsive, great with tenants, and cares about your property!!!
Let me know if I should connect you. Don't want to bombard her with emails.
I am really happy with Evernest, In general I saw bad reviews on them, but in Cleveland specifically I heard great things about them, I have 2 Duplexes with them and I am really happy.
@Chaim Pfeiffer hey can you tell me about your expierence with them? Had any turnovers rehabs or evictions with them? I'm looking for a pm right now
Actually they had since my last post done a bad enough job that I had to leave them, 2 units were vacant for 6 months despite lowering asking rent to what they told me (after leaving them, and reaching out to a rental agent I got a tenant in a few weeks) When I needed a things fixed, coordination was horrible, prices were crazy (much more than I pay now when reaching out myself to people) Because they get a extra 10% fee un top of that so they take the most expensive people I would not recommend them. I wasn't planning to self manage out of town but it ended up being very good the las t few months, I make more money, I have less issues and things are great. I have a leasing agent for finding tenants, when something needs to be addressed my buyers brokers gives me good contacts with very good prices, Or I tell the tenant to call someone themselves since coordination works out best like that, they get me a few quotes, I make sure the price makes sense, I talk with the guy myself, I get before and after pictures, I even had the tenant pay them and I deducted it from the rent. I don't know if this will work forever, I now have just 4 units, But it is working now.
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Thanks!
Property management is a tough business, so you won't find any company that is everyone’s favorite. There are some solid options in the area though, but you’ll definitely want to screen them carefully before moving forward. A great way to get a true picture is by asking for client references—this will give you insight into what working with them is really like.
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Thanks!
Finding a solid PM in Cleveland is huge, especially coming from out of state, and the best ones usually aren’t the loudest online, they come from referrals from active investors in the area. I’d focus less on just fees and more on how they handle tenant placement, maintenance markups, communication, and eviction processes, because that’s what really impacts your returns. For rental demand, a lot of investors see consistency in areas with stable working-class tenants and proximity to jobs, not just “nice” neighborhoods on paper. Cleveland can definitely work for cash flow, just make sure your team is dialed in first, since that’s what makes or breaks remote investing in Midwest markets.
I own in CA and am looking at diversifying into Cleveland. Can anyone recommend a good property manager? Most of what I find online is people listing companies to avoid, not ones to work with.
Also, if anyone has advice on what areas have strong rental demand?
Thanks!
Finding a solid PM in Cleveland is huge, especially coming from out of state, and the best ones usually aren’t the loudest online, they come from referrals from active investors in the area. I’d focus less on just fees and more on how they handle tenant placement, maintenance markups, communication, and eviction processes, because that’s what really impacts your returns. For rental demand, a lot of investors see consistency in areas with stable working-class tenants and proximity to jobs, not just “nice” neighborhoods on paper. Cleveland can definitely work for cash flow, just make sure your team is dialed in first, since that’s what makes or breaks remote investing in Midwest markets.