What do prospective tenants see when they look at your property? Do they see the amenities? Is it the fresh coat of paint? The Cat5 wireless networking? The swimming pool?  Most of them absolutely do see all of these factors, but there is another factor you can absolutely be sure every prospective tenant is taking note of: your property manager.

Every owner must consider the property manager as the face of the property. And, as such, must take careful consideration in choosing that person in order to ensure the property is represented in the most desirable manner. A good way of looking at it is as though the property is a brand and the property manager is the brand manager.

Here are some tips to ensuring prospective tenants get the very best impression of your brand.

1. Customer Service. How focused is your property manager on providing customer service? One of the worst things you can have happen to your brand is a bad customer experience due to an unhappy employee. Managers should be friendly and pleasant. Talk to him or her about the importance of smiling, learning and remembering tenant names, and creating friendly conversation with tenants as a daily habit. Tenants will take notice.
2. Knowledge. Bringing a property manager onto a property that he or she is not familiar with may be one of the worst things that can happen to the property as far as tenants are concerned. The property manager should know the city, the area, and the ins and outs of the property itself. Someone who is unknowledgeable will give the impression that the property is not well maintained or looked after, and that’s a warning sign to prospective tenants.
3. Responsiveness. Nothing tells a tenant that he or she matters less to a property than the lack of responsiveness to his or her requests. Ensure the property manager knows the importance of returning calls and responding to emails or requests as quickly as possible, with the maximum time being 24 hours for non-emergencies.
4. Appearance. We put this last, not because it isn’t as important, but because it isn’t the most important factor. Yet, the way a person presents him or herself does affect the way others see him or her and whatever it is they are representing. And, while career suits or church clothes aren’t necessary, ensuring the property manager is presentable with work-appropriate clothing, combed hair, etc., is an absolute-must.

How well does your property manager represent your interests? Even though the property itself is home to many people, it is very much a business for you, and should be handled as such. So, choose a property manager with which you identify and who will manage the day-to-day and overall activities of the property in accordance with your desires for how you wish it to be seen by others.