Which Factors Earn Landlords And Property Managers The Best Feedback?

Recommendations are vitally important throughout many industries, and the world of property rental is no different. Having a great property in an appealing location is just one piece of the puzzle. If you’re unable or unwilling to provide a great service — whether you own the property or are managing it on behalf of the owner — then the result will be many unhappy tenants eager to tell other renters all about why they should avoid working with you.

But what exactly goes into providing a great service? In the end, you need to focus on the factors that most affect the feedback you receive: the things that make the difference between glowing endorsements and social media rants. In this post, we’ll take a look at the core factors that can earn you the best feedback (and reduce your stress) if you focus on them.

Offering helpful advice for new renters or buyers

It isn’t typically as simple as going from initial viewing to moving in within a month. The process of renting or buying property can be complicated, particularly for those who’ve never been through it before. Landlords and property managers that do what they can to help such people will see their efforts rewarded in long-term feedback, as they’ll never forget the backup.

They should, for example, be ready to suggest relevant services. Someone who really likes a house and has the money to pay for it might not know how to approach getting a mortgage. Putting them in touch with a trusted mortgage broker (or even pointing them to an online service like Breezeful, because that approach is now viable) won’t take much effort.

And if someone seems set on a particular place but their prospective landlord or property manager knows of something that might better suit their needs, that needs to be mentioned. The price tag of the alternative property may be lower, but even if that’s the case, the value returned through personal recommendations justifies it.

Drawing upon strong industry links

No one person, no matter how dedicated, can provide a superlative tenant experience — particularly if they’re responsible for multiple properties. Accordingly, smart landlords and property managers draw upon strong industry links to improve their services. Not sure what this involves? Here are some examples of what you can do:

• Work with property management insurance companies.Insurance is a key part of the rental process, making life easier for tenants and managers alike — and establishing a working relationship with a suitable provider will make it easier to ensure that tenants get excellent quotes.
• Get support from established industry professionals.If you’re relatively new to managing property, you can show that you’re self-aware by taking advice from people who’ve been doing it much longer. This will allow you to address issues more precisely and provide better conditions overall.
• Arrange strong deals with local attractions.While it’s true that many places are closed these days, you can still do things like arrange discounts with nearby eateries. You drive business to them, and they help you impress the tenants. You can even have deals with other landlords to provide recommendations when your properties are full, showing selflessness and thus seeming worthy of support.

Showing respect for tenants’ privacy

If you’ve rented a place before, you’ll know how annoying it is when a landlord keeps showing up for whatever reason. While the place is being rented, you need to stay out unless you’re explicitly invited in. Any other course of action will cause understandable frustration. If you need to go there for whatever reason, arrange a suitable time with plenty of notice.

And when that time arrives, respect the space. You may own it, but it’s not yours to do anything with while it’s being rented, and that means doing things like taking your shoes off if you’re asked and leaving as promptly as you can. If you don’t show respect and follow the law, the tenants aren’t going to speak very highly of you.

Taking security and safety seriously

Every property needs decent locks on its doors and windows, functional heating, working power, clean running water, and various other essentials. This might seem trivially obvious, but you must ensure that those basics are covered at all times. In addition to that, you need to be ready to address any tenant concerns that come up.

If someone tells you that they feel unsafe, don’t dismiss those concerns. Go over the safety measures with them, even getting into local crime stats if those are relevant. Show that you’ve taken action to confirm safety, and explain that you’ll be there to support them if they need any more assistance or reassurance.