“The biggest piece of advice I can give is to not take things personal. If you do your job correctly, which should be overly defined before you start to manage someone’s investment, then you are just dealing with people reacting to their situation”
I have been handling the management of family investments for 5-6 years now (licensed for a year to take our model public!). I am also a broker and investor myself, having done everything from complete gut rehab flips to buy and hold investments. I have been in the industry for over 10 years.
As property managers we offer a wide range of services; rent collection, tenant screening and leasing, maintenance requests. We are also committed to upgrading the property at the right time with the right things. There are always subtle ways to upgrade the unit or building without breaking the bank.
As property managers, we should always be looking to increase value for our clients. Zebra Cares focus is on residential units for the investor with 1-25 units. We have noticed a gap in service for smaller investors who may have been pushed aside by many of the bigger firms. Our goal is to get people more value out of their investment whether it be time with their family, knowledge of the rental market pricing, or the ability to retain the quality tenants you already have!
I believe that being a property manager can be a very rewarding as a career. It takes some thick skin when things go wrong (which they always do), but there is value in problem solving. And I have always enjoyed figuring out a solution to the problem. If your brain likes a challenge this is a great career for young professionals.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to not take things personal. If you do your job correctly, which should be overly defined before you start to manage someone’s investment, then you are just dealing with people reacting to their situation (which can become very personal for them, since it is in their home).
But be polite and direct, don’t tell them what they want to hear, tell them what is actually happening. Also, always remember you are there to make the property owner fiscally happy first and foremost.
– Dan Gallagher, Zebra Cares LLC