Mon 16 Oct 2006
So I’m looking to replace a property manager for some units I have in the midwest and I’ve created a system that I’ve been following to do this. It’s a reusable system that could be used anytime anywhere, whether you are near your units or not.
Our existing manager for these units has not been cutting the mustard and I’ve finally decided to buckle down and take care of it. This after months of rationalization, justification, second chances, third chances, and just not wanting to have to deal with it.
This week I’m going to start posting how I went about this process. It’s getting close to completion and I’m getting excited about the change.
Some interesting stats for starters: I’ve had 59 inquiries about my position, 13 applications submitted, and I’m interviewing 2. I interviewed one yesterday and hope to complete the other by Wednesday. I’d like to select my new manager by Friday. I plan for him/her to start on Nov. 1, although I am running a bit behind schedule.
More to come.
4 Responses to “The Hunt For A Property Manager Continues”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
October 17th, 2006 at 6:02 am
Looking forward to reading more about how you hire your managers. What kinds of questions do you ask them during the interview? Do you ever hire people with no experience in property management?
I have found that managing people is one of the most challenging aspects of business. Unfortunately, too many independent contractors are not responsible, and don’t keep faith with their commitments. For example, I am currently working with a programmer who has pushed back the deadline on a software application 4 times now, and has **still** not delivered on a beta review version. We are 3.5 weeks behind deadline. The application was due Saturday. It’s Tuesday and I still haven’t heard a peep from the guy. I left a message yesterday (Mon.); haven’t received a return phone call yet.
I have a feeling he’s playing the avoidance/stall game, b/c he’s late and doesn’t want to answer the phone and admit he’s running behind deadline. It is very sad that people can’t deliver on what they promise–or at the very least, communicate honestly about delays and why they’re occurring.
Finding high-quality, responsible people that deliver as promised is a challenge.
The general rule should be: Underpromise and Overdeliver. Instead, (far too often) it’s “Promise the client the moon, and then under-deliver.”
October 17th, 2006 at 9:54 am
Chris, I hear you. Many times people are afraid to speak the truth when it has the potential to expose a weakness, mistake, insecurity, whatever. The software industry is synonomous with delays and I’m not sure there’s a way around it. Similar to construction.
I’ll be posting some of the questions I ask my interviewees. I have no issues hiring someone with no experience. I look for skills like sales, assertiveness, integrity, organization, willingness to follow directions, and how handy they are.
It’s also important to me how close to the property they either live or work, how flexible their schedule is, and I don’t want someone who currently rents. It’s a bonus if they own their own rental properties.
October 17th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
So you say that you are interested in the applicant’s sales ability, assertiveness, integrity, organization, etc.
How do you test for these qualities? Are there certain benchmarks that you look for (maybe certain aspects of the application can help you clue in on their organizational ability)? Are there certain questions you ask to try to gauge their sales ability?
The masses are dying to know!
Chris, your mantra of “underpromise but over-deliver” sounds good but can be lacking in the real world. How do you uderpromise but still win the contract?
If I see two contractors and one estimates the work will take 3 weeks, the second estimates it will take 5 weeks (but he thinks he can finish in 3), unless the first one has an obvious history of falling behind on projects, who am I going to hire? Probably the second.
The real mantra should be “deliver what you promise”.
October 18th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Anesia - Thanks for the advice on what to look for when hiring a property manager. Yes, it seems the software industry is riddled with continual delays.
@The Landlord - You asked, “How do you underpromise but still win the contract?” I am not referring to underpromising during the hiring stage. Instead, I am referring to a deadline revision for an existing project.
The contractor I am working with asked for a 1 week extension, and promised he would have the software ready by then. It’s one week later, and the software is *still* not complete.
When asking for an extension, the programmer should have requested an extension deadline that he was 97% sure he could meet or beat. Hence my phrase “Underpromise and Overdeliver.” He should have added a margin of error, and asked for a 2-3 week extension. He’s already got the project, and it would be foolish for me to say no, since he’s 75% complete.
When revising deadlines, it’s better to ask for a longer extension–and deliver ON TIME, than to ask for a shorter extension and miss.
My $0.02. Hope this clarifies.