The professional property mangers are worth their weight in gold to most owners of rental properties. Any residential or commercial property must be taken care of from both a physical and tenant-relations standpoint. The professional manager maintains the regular required maintenance as directed by the owner of the property. Makes recommendations on additional upgrades to the home that would be beneficial to increasing value of the property.

The manger is also responsible for acquiring a suitable tenant as the need arises. This includes newspaper advertising; website listing and other avenues required in attracting good tenants. Credit checks are preformed, reference checks and in some cases home visits of the tenants current residence if possible. A local manager will be the eyes of the landlord by making periodic inspections of the property to defer any unfavorable activity that may go on. Additional tasks as collecting of rents, scheduling maintenance tasks and conducting evictions if necessary.

The most demanding part of the mangers duties are the emergency situations that arise that must be dealt with immediately. A manager’s day is 24-7 and must be readily available to handle any disaster as it occurs. It has been my experience that emergency situations rarely occur during normal working hours. The hot water heater or central AC doesn’t go out on Tuesday at 1 p.m. I must be prepared to act swiftly in a crisis situation. I have many sub contractors who will react for us at a moments notice when we make an emergency call. They are invaluable to the services that we provide.”
Immediate response to any tenant complaint is paramount to tenant relations. Happy tenants take care of the property and pay their rent on time.

The professional property manger is also excellent council to a property owner and may advise on the acquisition of properties. As a general rule they are licensed real estate professionals and in addition to management duties sell and list real estate. They can provide profit and loss scenarios to help a customer make a qualified decision on the best property for their portfolio.

In my local area it is an excellent time to invest. The Florida Keys are a mecca for tourism which is continuing to grow year after year. Many of our property owners are second homeowners allowing you the perfect destination for your vacations and an opportunity to rent as a vacation home and generate income as well. Our real estate has taken a considerable decrease in market prices due to many economic factors.
Mortgage rates have stabilized and prices have dropped. The time is now to buy in this market. Values will continue to rise in the near future.

All and all property mangers are an invaluable resource to the owner of income property and will make their landlord experience a profitable and positive one.

Cheryl Moses
Action Keys Realty