Investing in rental property is a great way to generate a steady stream of income—but unfortunately, it’s not as easy as signing on the dotted line and letting the payments roll in. Property management takes a lot of patience, communication, and hard work, and many property buyers who see their investment as a “side gig” are often dismayed to find that it has similar demands to a full-time job.
If you have other things in life that demand your time and attention, a property manager can take all the worry off your shoulders and run the day-to-day details of tenant interaction, rent collection, property maintenance, etc. Below are some ways a Raleigh property management company can make your life much easier!
A big part of a property manager’s job is tenant interaction—answering questions related to the lease, resolving complaints, and filling out maintenance requests, to name a few tasks. Having a Raleigh property manager is beneficial for two reasons: first, as we discussed in the intro, because all this issue resolution takes up a significant amount of time.
And secondly, it places a third party between the owner (you) and the tenant. When the owner stays a rather distant figure from the day-to-day property tasks, tenants are more likely to have respect for you, your property and your regulations.
For some, one of the best aspects of hiring a property management firm is handing over the paperwork to someone else. A rental management firm can complete all the paperwork involved in finding and screening tenants, checking credit reports, conducting background checks, drawing up lease agreements, and keeping track of monthly rent. If you own an entire building with a high turnover rate, the reduction in paperwork can be well worth the cost of hiring a property management company.
The other big part of a property manager’s job is filling empty units and keeping them filled. A property manager will advertise open units, conduct tours, interview and screen prospective tenants, draw up leases, and handle applications, move-ins, and move-outs. If a tenant ever needs to be evicted, a property manager will also handle the legal aspects of the eviction process so that you don’t have to have significant involvement.
Since we are a Raleigh property management company, you probably expect that we will say yes, every investment property owner should hire a management team to help out. The truth is, though, that some owners–those with an open schedule, head for details, and excellent people skills–are able to handle the job themselves. However, if your time is already booked with other responsibilities, we encourage you not to go it alone—property management is not for the weak of heart (or limited of schedule!) Similarly, if you find interacting with people stressful, hiring a property manager to interface with tenants and contractors for you will probably be well worth the investment.
Barker Realty, Inc. is a full-service real estate brokerage firm with more than thirty years of Raleigh NC property management experience. To set up a consultation appointment with one of our skilled representatives, click here.
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests,
but also to the interests of others..."
Phil. 2:4
