Twin Cities landlords: How are you actually finding good contractors?

Question

Hello! Future first-time landlord here, about to start shopping for multi-family rentals in the Twin Cities. Before I buy, I’m trying to learn from people who’ve already been through this.

For those of you self-managing 1-5 units: how do you currently find contractors you trust (plumbers, electricians, HVAC, handymen, etc.)? Word of mouth, Yelp, Angi/Thumbtack, a local referral service, something else?

Also, what’s been the most frustrating part of that process? Bad quotes, no-shows, work you had to redo, just never knowing who to call when something breaks?

I’m trying to learn as much about this process before I’m in the position of needing this myself. Appreciate any war stories.

Thanks!

Adam Tafel · Answer

Good question. 11 year landlord/agent here, self managing 8 properties, 1-4 unit Class A/B in St Paul.

I went through a handful of contractors during my first 5 years as a landlord. Some were sketchy, some were too expensive, none of them gave me the confidence to take on major projects. I knew I needed to get a solid sub-contractor crew of mostly immigrants to pull off the spreads that some of my peers were seeing - but most investors are pretty tight lipped when it comes to giving up their best crews.

Long story short, I went through 2 of these crews before I finally found a third I really clicked with. I was introduced to them through fellow investors (once I had to pay $1200 for the intro!). You won't find these guys in a facebook group or on Google.

I recommend checking out local meetups (we have one called Twin Cities Real Estate Investing). I actually thought about poaching some guys right off a job site, bring someone who speaks spanish and find a few smaller but extensive construction projects near you and ask who the boss is. Another method is to ask some of the laborers who are already working for you or a friend if they want a side gig, but don't do this if you think it will hurt an existing relationship (I would never do this to my main guy).

If you have a solid team of people around you who are invested in your success (lender, agent, pm, etc) this is the easiest way to cut in line. I refer my guys to clients of mine on a weekly basis. It took most of us a very long time to build a complete list of pros we trust, we aren't going to give these up unless there is value in the exchange.

Hope this helps!

Twin Cities landlords: How are you actually finding good contractors?

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