Property managers must wear several hats. It seems they can't go five minutes without being interrupted by the phone ringing, a prospective tenant passing through their office or by a maintenance crisis in need of attention. Because of this, many property managers find it difficult to find the time necessary to accomplish larger projects. Cal Bay Property Management's Scott Safadi has five tips to cut through the chaos and get your day back on track.
1. Plan ahead
It's 5:00, and you're eager to get home. You're looking forward to a home-cooked meal, time at the gym or date night out on the town. The last thing on your mind? Your plans for tomorrow. But property managers who take time the night before to plan for the following morning tend to be more efficient. Consider that you're doing your future self a favor by making a list of the top five most important tasks to take care of in the morning.
2. Shift Important Tasks to the Morning
In a perfect world, we'd be able to account for every hour of our day with no interruptions. That's unrealistic for most property managers, so the most we can do is manage expectations. When possible, shift your most important tasks to the morning. You'll have at least an hour or two of quiet time when you first go into the office, but by afternoon, complaints and requests are often rolling through. Give yourself the freedom to tackle challenges as the come in each afternoon with the knowledge that you've handled the most important tasks earlier in the day.
3. Communicate early and often
No man is an island, and you'd be nothing without your property management team. But even the most successful property managers have trouble delegating sometimes. Solve this common problem by organizing daily team meetings when folks first arrive. These brief meetings can be kept to ten to fifteen minutes, bringing everyone up to speed on projects that need handled and ensuring everyone is on the same page.
4. Disappear when you need to.
Good leaders are there for their team and those that they serve. However, good leaders also know how to draw healthy boundaries and prioritize their to do list. Make an appearance each day and then let folks know your plans to do some work behind closed doors. Whether you're honing a new advertising campaign or planning for upcoming renovations, no one will begrudge you some time alone. Even if you only allot one hour a day to closed door planning and work, you'll be shocked at home much that power hour can include.
- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
