What can we do to help tenants at the beginning of the renting process, during a tenancy and at the end of a tenancy?
When a tenant is looking to rent a property, they are trying to find a home for themselves, perhaps for their partner or family too.
Property agents are dealing with potential tenants sometimes at very stressful times of their lives and it’s important that we understand and empathise with this. People are often moving due to needing more space, needing less space, a breakup, a marriage, a baby, a death, etc and each of these situations create stress on their own, let alone throwing in a move too.
“I love all my tenants and we have a very strong relationship. It is so rewarding when you are met at the front door whilst conducting a periodic inspection to have a picture drawn or painting for you from the tenants’ children,” Edith Byrne, co-owner of No Bull Real Estate operating in the Newcastle area.
“If you really love property management it will reflect on the relationship you have or intend to have with your tenants and their families. This will make your role so much easier as a property manager.”
How do we balance tenant relationships with the landlords’ requirements? it is important to consider their needs too.
Communication
Building effective and efficient communication is the key to good relationships.
It’s very important to have face to face rapport with tenants but technology can also be used in so many ways to help agents and tenants communicate effectively. The Inspect Real Estate software (IRE) can be used to keep potential tenants automatically updated. It helps property managers to respond to tenants quickly about properties that are available to rent, easily notify prospective tenants of updates to opening times and adjustments to prices.
Electronic leases are a way of speeding up the process of putting tenants into properties but it’s very important to follow up and give tenants an induction before the lease commences so that they understand what their rights and obligations are.
Acknowledge your tenant if they have issue. Send an email right away. Arrange for repairs and maintenance to be completed quickly which could save your landlords money. Maintenance Manager is a great tool for easy acknowledgement - tenants reporting issues and agents easily responding quickly to organise these repairs.
Don’t hide behind email - pick up the phone to your tenants and landlords if there is an issue. A quick phone conversation is a more personal touch and may well save you time and stress following up on emails.
Build rapport with people
Respect between tenants, agents and landlords is essential. Try and place yourself in the tenants’ shoes. Listen to them. Too many tenants inform me that they have been treated like second class citizens with other agencies.
Empathy is also very important. We are all different and come from all walks of life and have different situations that we are faced with daily. Do your best to understand and place yourself in the tenants’ shoes when a situation calls for this.
It is important to know your tenants. Learn their names and their children's names. Tenants are not numbers they are humans as well. Just being there for your tenants is important. We have given groceries, clothes and even helped move tenants in crisis.
Remember, tenants are and can become landlords and property buyers themselves. How they are treated by you will reflect on their decision whether to engage your services in the future.
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