Couple considers hiring a property management company for their vacant property.

5 Factors to Consider When Hiring a Property Management Company in West Palm Beach

In community-based living, property management plays a decisive and vital role in the overall quality of life that residents experience. Between building upkeep, enforcing community rules, and handling day-to-day operations, property management companies are responsible for making sure that the community is a safe and enjoyable place to live. If you’re on the board of an association looking to hire a West Palm Beach property management company, there are 5 key factors you need to consider to ensure you’re getting a partnership that best suits the needs of your community.

1. Look For Responsive Communication & 24-Hour Services.

Your residents need to be able to access your property management company outside of regular business hours. This means looking for a company that uses online portals, emergency numbers, and customer care emails. When an emergency happens, the right West Palm Beach property management company will know how to deal with it swiftly and will be responsive in their communication.

2. Focus On Community Needs & Adaptability.

The West Palm Beach property management company you partner with should have a clear understanding of your community’s unique needs and be adaptable in its approach to meeting them. While it may be tempting to go with a smaller property management company that offers customized services, if their experience depth isn’t deep enough, you may end up with a company that isn’t equipped to handle the challenges that inevitably come with running community-based property. On the flip side of this, you don’t want a “one-size-fits-all” approach either, so during the hiring process, verify that the company can provide the tools and services you need to take care of your community.

3. Compare & Find Value in the Partnership Beyond Bottom Line.

When searching and comparing West Palm Beach property management companies, don’t disregard those who are on the expensive side, as the value they might provide you with could go much further than that initial quote. For example, a property management company may be worth more than the expensive fee, if it means that they will leverage business relationships to get your community better prices or include add-ons like managing insurance costs or tailoring preventative maintenance programs to fit with your community’s long-term goals. The key here is to not become blindsided by the bottom-line fee and look a little deeper at what the property management company can truly offer you.

4. Ask About Company Experience, Maintenance Handling, and Reputation.

The easiest way to make sure that a West Palm Beach property management company is the right fit for your association and community is to dive into their experience, maintenance expertise, and reputation.

  1. Experience: find out how long they have been in business for, whether they provide full-management services, and if they are localized or national. In addition to this, ask about how many properties they manage, how they approach financial management, as well as, handle major projects like landscaping overhauls and unit renovations.
  2. Reputation: take a look at their reputation by reviewing the testimonials of other communities that they have managed or are currently partnered with. Are they trusted in the areas of budgeting, emergencies, and communication? Do other communities have fantastic things to say about their experience with them? Another way to get insight on this front is by reviewing the property management’s website and their social media pages.
  3. Maintenance Expertise: ask about their maintenance procedures and strategies to tackle unexpected problems. Find out if they employ an in-house maintenance crew or if they have vendors that come in and do the work. If they do use vendors, do they get multiple quotes before proceeding in order to get you the best price? Asking about maintenance expertise is a good way to find out if the property management company will help you find cost-effective solutions.

5. Look For a Dedicated Team of Professionals.

Finally, make sure to partner with a West Palm Beach property management company that has employed a dedicated team of professionals with combined knowledge in the following areas: finance, hospitality, procurement, security, lifestyle, human resources, and marketing at a minimum. You may want to follow up and ask about the hiring and training processes of their team, and inquire about the retention rate of its employees. When it comes down to it, you want to hire a company that consists of dedicated top talent.

By partnering with a West Palm Beach property management company that meets the above 5 key factors, you can be rest assured that your community will be in good hands, and will remain a desirable place to live. Here at Kanga Property Management, we work tirelessly to provide the best-in-class service offerings to all of our community-based properties. If you’d like to learn more about our full-management services or have questions about how we can help your community, please reach out to us today. We’d be more than happy to chat with you!