There are people that love drama. There are people that create drama. There are people that feed on watching other people’s drama. Just tune into some reality television if you need a dose of drama.

You may not know it, but Property Managers play a critical role in the universe by reducing drama. Let’s walk through some examples.

1. “Where am I going to live? This is the most important thing in my life right now! I want the right floor plan in the right neighborhood with the right amenities at the right price.” Property Managers can slice through that drama and provide their residents with a wonderful place to call home.
   
   
2. “How am I going to pay my rent? I am a busy person, always on the go and I don’t have time to get to the office to drop off my check. I can’t deal with the stress of making this payment!” Property Managers can provide online payment options. Click, click and you are done – your rent can be paid from any computer or device at a time that is convenient for you.
   
   
3. “How can I remember to pay my rent? I am working long hours at my job and I am juggling all kinds of personal commitments. What if I lose track of time and forget that it is the first of the month?” Property Managers can offer the ability for you to ‘set it and forget it’ with Auto-Pay. That way, the rent payment is charged to your credit card or pulled from your bank account on the same day every month. You never have to think about it again.
   
   
4. “But my life is too hard and I am the exception to every rule! My rent payment varies every month because of utilities fees or other variable components. I can’t use the tools that everyone else can! What am I going to do?” Your property manager can set you up with Variable Auto-Pay. Therefore, your rent gets paid on the same day every month as long as the amount due falls within the parameters that you define. You don’t have to worry about it or remember anything!

The services you provide as a Property Manager are essential to keeping the universe in balance. By offering a number of online payment options and providing your renters with the ease and convenience of Auto-Pay, you are eliminating drama.

Will you miss it? Will you miss the myriad of creative excuses from your renters as to why their payments are late? Could it be a tardy mail carrier? And unexpected trip? An irresponsible roommate? No, you won’t miss it. Happy residents and predictable cash flow are far more desirable than a nail-biting, crying, table-flipping incident in the front office. After all, we have reality television for that.

Kristin Runyan is co-presenting "Keeping Up with Internet-Savvy Renters: Online Trends Today and Tomorrow" at the 2015 NAA Education Conference & Exposition. You can register for the conference here, and add Kristin's session to your schedule on Friday, June 26th at 9:00am.