More than a Manager: Enhancing Relationships with Tenants
November 14, 2022
You are a busy property manager keeping up with move-ins and move-outs, maintenance requests, property renovations, and monthly rent. How can you make time to maintain positive relationships with your tenants on top of it all? We have some ways you can work this into your regular schedule, which can help you in the long run.
Be Empathetic
While you may have a lot of maintenance requests coming in on a particular day, and one unit’s air conditioning not working just puts it over the top, it can be helpful to to put yourself in your tenants’ shoes. Imagine yourself on the hot days, trying to sleep or work out of your apartment with a faulty unit. Be kind when taking these requests, and do everything you can to try to get something like this fixed as soon as possible, because you know how it must feel. When working with people, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes when an issue arises. You already know how to do this because it’s a big part of your job, but we could all use a little self check-in every now and then.
Listen First
It is very easy to make assumptions or jump to conclusions when a tenant comes into the office with a problem. You may think you have heard something like this before or you may be making a judgment about how it might go. If you take time to listen to the entire situation someone explains and give yourself a moment to logically think about how best to help them, it can foster a better relationship and they can more easily trust you, knowing you want to help.
Host Events or Contests
While this may take extra planning than your day-to-day tasks, having an event or contest at the property can build a sense of community and help you get to know some of your tenants better. If you manage a unit with a pool, you can have a pool party and provide snacks so people can come by and mingle. Or, host a gathering in a common area. If you’re a pet-friendly property, create a pet photo contest on social media or have tenants bring in printed photos of their pets. If you manage individual residences, consider hosting a holiday-themed drop-in event at your office or a local restaurant. You can be more than a property manager to your community by having some fun every now and then!
Your community is your passion and your tenants are part of that community. Take some time to think of how you can best connect with the people you work with each day to create or continue building a positive environment.
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