As hard as it is to believe, the holidays are upon us once again. And while they may not have returned to a pre-pandemic normal, things have vastly improved from this time last year. People are getting together with family, friends, and larger groups outside their “bubble,” and while this is certainly wonderful news, it also means a lot more work and stress. Here are some tips on how to be a property manager your clients will be thankful for.
While you’re always responsible for safeguarding your client’s property, extra diligence is needed during the holiday season. There is nothing worse than arriving at your home to find that water damage or a break-in has occurred, and the same holds true of a stained rug or broken vase after a party. Certainly, your clients don’t want to hear that their guests or Airbnb-ers caused a noise disturbance or posed some sort of safety hazard to the neighbors. You can prevent or mitigate these problems by keeping in touch with people staying in the home. For example, you might enquire about their holiday plans, (gently) remind them of any conditions of their stay (i.e., no more than twenty party guests), and let them you’re available should issues arise. If there are complaints, address them immediately and inspect the property once they have left to make sure the home is clean and in working order.
Another way to bring some holiday cheer to your client is to manage their deliveries. Everyone is shopping online these days, and even more so around the holidays in order to avoid crowded stores. This means packages will be arriving regularly at the property, sometimes several a day, which poses two potential problems: theft and delivery delays. To reduce added stress in an already hectic time, offer to keep track of your client’s deliveries and investigate if something does not arrive or goes missing. Any frustration you feel when dealing with a delivery service or customer service rep will be outweighed by your client’s appreciation, and their decision to retain your services for the foreseeable future.
Clear communication, always the trademark of an excellent property manager, is even more important during the holiday season. You may be helping to organize an event and must deal with various vendors and service providers; or, if you’re working remotely, you may have to manage “boots on the ground” – people who visit the property to retrieve packages or install holiday decorations. Whoever the players are, your ability to deal with them in a diplomatic and timely fashion may mean the difference between your client’s holiday bash and a holiday catastrophe.
Indeed, if you’re in the property management business, your plate will be especially full over the next several weeks – and you will need every tool & tips on how to be a property manager at your disposal to make your job manageable. All-in-one solutions, for example, allow you to create a profile for each client and/or property with their needs and preferences. You can upload plans for holiday parties, travel schedules, and accounts they use to order gifts; moreover, you can use the messaging feature to communicate with your client, their guests and tenants, and trusted service providers in a safe secure space. Employing these tools, along with your considerable skills, will make for grateful clients over the holidays and position you for a prosperous year ahead.
