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What to Look for when Reading Reviews of Property Management Companies Online

Dustin Edwards • Sep 11, 2020

Read the Reviews to Find the Right Company For You

Beach Cities Management Reviews
555Businesses have extreme accountability to their customers due to the speed at which reviews can be left online. This can be challenging for any business to manage. It is a great advantage for property owners (and tenants even) to explore what a working relationship would be like with a property management company. Find out more below how to evaluate reviews to help you to find the best possible management company for your goals.

Renter Reviews vs. Owner Reviews
Reviews tell a story from the perspective of the tenant and the property owner. While it would be nice to say “well I am a property owner I don’t really need to read reviews left by tenants” we would encourage you to read a balance of the reviews. As a property owner reading reviews left by tenants will help you to understand how they handle tenants who are renting your property. Reading the property owner reviews will help you to understand how they will interact with you.

While it might seem a bit tedious to read through a large volume of reviews it is a great way to understand, from a 3rd party perspective, how it could be to work with the company.

Quantity and Quality of Reviews
Depending on the platform for reviews (the most common being Yelp and Google My Business) a reviewer doesn’t even have to leave comments when they leave their rating. They could leave a 1-star or even a 5-star without writing a single word.

As you are evaluating the reviews of property management companies we would argue that to truly understand what it could be like to work with a company is to look beyond the pure ratings and read the commentary. Sure it is nice to see a string of 5-star reviews, but what is that really saying about the company? Likewise a number of 1-star reviews could mean there is a problem or maybe there was a common challenge that impacted renters on the same day.

Time Period of Reviews
If there is one truth about the internet it is that once something is put online you can find it for pretty much forever. To understand what it could be like to work with a property management company take careful note of when the reviews were left. Consider the following:

Have they not received any new reviews lately?

Are the majority of the negative reviews older?

If they haven’t received any new reviews lately, why is that? Maybe they stopped encouraging owners and renters alike to leave reviews?

For older negative reviews it could be the result of a bad hire that could no longer be with the company. Or they might be a result of a challenging economic period (i.e. great recession or COVID-19) when many businesses received negative reviews. Take time to understand the context of the negative reviews and even ask the property manager about these negative items during the interview process.

Are there Specific Team Members Mentioned?
This goes for both positive and negative aspects. As you read through the reviews of potential property management companies who are the people that are most often mentioned? Is there a particular individual who is always mentioned as going above and beyond? Is the staff mentioned holistically in a positive manner? Look for trends (positive and negative) regarding the staff to help you get a greater understanding of what it is like to work with the property management company. Property management is a service focused business which means you will certainly be relying on those staff members that are mentioned in the reviews.

Should you see a specific property coordinator or manager mentioned in reviews make sure to ask if they will be the one handling your property. Or you might even ask if you can speak with them as part of the interview process. Having confidence in the individual you are assigned as well as the company will help you to have a long relationship where you and your management company benefit.

At Beach Cities Property Management we enjoy reading the reviews from tenants and property owners and encourage prospects to read our reviews prior to working with us as you will certainly get a better understanding of how we enjoy helping. When you would like to find out more on how we can earn our way to a future 5-star review from you we invite you to request our Free Rental Analysis to see how we can help.

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By Dustin Edwards 01 May, 2024
Everyone wants to feel safe in their homes. As an investment property owner, it's up to you to decide whether or not to include security measures in your property. Many of the costs associated with the security measures can be included in the rent, meaning not only can you keep your property safe, but you can earn more income in the long run. However, you would still want your tenants to have renters insurance to protect their assets. Today, we’ll discuss the top five security measures you can add to your property and why they're beneficial to you and your tenant. Security Cameras Cameras are probably one of the first security measures people think about when asked about security. Cameras provide more benefits than just surveillance. They provide an extra level of security for the safety of the tenants and their belongings. Additionally, security cameras can be useful when repairs are required. Cameras can aid in supervising repairs and maintenance to ensure you’re receiving the agreed-upon work. During vacancies when the property is empty, security cameras can help keep the property safe from potential intruders. Doorbell cameras are incredibly popular now. They provide the aforementioned safety of a camera that can be accessed remotely, as well as the ability to communicate with visitors. Although one must be careful never to say you're not home, just say you're unavailable to strangers. Security Lights Security lights with motion detectors are another effective tool when adding security measures to your property. These lights brightly if a potential intruder attempts to get near your home. They can provide enough illumination to see the intruder or, at the very least, scare them off. Nowadays, you can find a combination of security cameras and motion-activated security lights, such as the floodlight cam wired plus from Ring . Additionally, because these lights only turn on when motion is detected, they’re more cost-effective than traditional lights with a switch. Illuminate the Property Light generally deters intruders as it's more difficult to hide. Adding lighting to the landscaping can increase the security of the property while creating a relaxing atmosphere. Lights can also be used in other areas of the property to accent features such as trees, benches, or artwork. This can help your property stand out while giving your tenants an additional feeling of safety. Keyless Entry Keyless entry is seen as both a convenience feature and a security feature. They usually use an electronic passcode, biometric data, or grant access through a smartphone app. Physical keys can be lost, stolen, or duplicated. You reduce the risk of unauthorized entry by eliminating the need for a physical key to enter the property. Many keyless entry systems include several features, such as remote locking and monitoring. Although keyless entry is a great new technology for keeping your tenants and properties safe, they’re best used with other security systems. Security Company Nothing beats having an extra pair of eyes on your property for security. This is where security companies like ADT and SimpliSafe come in. While companies may deal with security in varying ways, they aim to protect your investment. While safety is the primary role of a security company, remember that many tenants may be willing to pay more for a premium amenity like a home security company. Keeping your property and tenants safe is incredibly important to the longevity of an investment property. If you’re looking to improve the security of your Long Beach rental property or need help managing your beach city rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or fill out our Owner Application online .
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