What is the Key to Marriage & Great Property Management?

I was in a marriage communication class this past Sunday at my church.  And the leader began the class by loudly exhorting:

Who wants to have a GREAT marriage???

Everyone enthusiastically cheered and nodded assent.  I quietly commented to my wife that a great marriage did, in fact, seem better than the alternative.

As I felt a sharp elbow in my rib cage, the class leader seized the building momentum with a slide showing a breakdown of a person’s average communication:

7% Verbal                  

55% Non-verbal (ex. aforementioned elbow to ribcage)

38% (the dreaded and infamous) Tone

So, how does this marriage advice fit into performing great property management?  The keys is effective communication via verbal, non-verbal, and tone to your tenants.

To break it down:

A.  Verbal: Present the important points of the lease to the tenant in person.  For me, the Big 3 items to communicate are:

1.  Pay rent on time and in full every month

2.  Maintain the property (cleaning, changing air filters, etc.)

3.  Get along with your neighbors

B.  Non-verbal: Make sure all important points are fully written out.  The writing should be clear and concise; it should include a good lease and other things you care about (lawn care, handling repairs, etc.).  If there is confusion with a tenant about anything in writing, re-write it so it doesn’t confuse the next tenants.  Each cumulative year in the property management business should see a corresponding decrease of tenant/property manager misunderstandings (lack of properly communicated expectations is the root cause of most disputes).

C.  Tone (wasn’t this the subject of a Seinfeld episode?):  Be nice.  At the end of the day, it is a people business.  As the Bible says, “If you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword.”  Though there are many advantages to taking the emotion out of the business and using a Draconian decision tree approach to management (ex: if they don’t pay by the 16^th, we file for eviction every time), I personally feel that’s a poor methodology (both operationally and from a ROI standpoint).  Emotion matters.  Parents being able to provide a home for their families matter.  Most people don’t take being removed from their homes through court order lightly; they just need some occasional compassion to get through rough patches.  Be nice, to a point. 

By using a confluence of verbal, non-verbal, and tone communication, you can manage your property well and have a great marriage to boot!

Brett Furniss is the President & Owner of BDF Realty (Charlotte Residential Property Management), the trusted real estate advisor for Charlotte landlords & Home of $100 Flat Fee Property Management.   BDF Realty utilizes their innovative Pod System for exceptional customer service in residential property management, home repairs, and home sales for single-family homes, condos, and town homes in the Charlotte-Metro Area.  Contact Us Today!