A great property manager is an important asset in your property investing team. When people invest in property, one of their main concerns is normally how they are going to manage tenants and ongoing maintenance issues.

With every property there are always going to be problems that come up, and being able to deal with them quickly and efficiently is incredibly important. That's why many people opt to use a professional such a property manager over the DIY option.

The job of the property manager is to take care of all the headaches that might come along, so you can focus on the areas in your life that you do best. Whether that's your job, your business or investing in property. However, if you find yourself with a less than optimal property manager, your life can become difficult, which is the very problem you are wanting your property manager to solve.

Fortunately, there are some red flags that you can look out for when you begin your search for a property manager. 

Patchy history

One of the hallmarks of a great  property manager is that they have a long track record of success. You would expect a quality property manager to manage a large rent roll and have a history of managing properties in your area over a long period of time.

If they don't, and their track record looks a bit patchy, then that might be something you should look out for.

Professional property managers typically have good processes and systems in place, and technology to assist with management, communications and administration of their properties. 

They're a ghost

These days a top property manager is likely to have a very public online presence, and you will likely be able to find them very easily.

if you're looking into a property manager and they don't have any type of presence online and no social media, that should be a cause for concern. Good property managers understand marketing and how real estate works, and if someone is hard to track down online, alarm bells should be going off.

Bad reviews

Over the last decade, we've seen a huge rise in the use of review sites and feedback across all types of industries. Real estate is now well entrenched with the process of agents and property managers receiving reviews.

Clearly, a good review is important, and the more there are, the better. But it's also important to read the reviews and see what people have been saying about a certain property manager.

It's OK to have a bad review here and there, but multiple should be cause for concern. It's also important that tenants also like to work with a certain property manager as well. While it's goof that they fight for the rights of landlords, if they are also putting tenants offside, it will result in you churning through tenants, which is a costly part of the process, outside of major repair work.

Are they available?

One of the most important things you should check is just how responsive your property manager is. Do they respond when you ring them? Will they return your emails? Most landlords would expect to be able to speak with a property manager on the same day they try to contact them.

If you're waiting for days on end with nothing back from the property manager, that's a big problem.

How to avoid a bad property manager

Just like you would when you invest in a property, its critical that you take your time and work through a due diligence process. Speak to multiple property managers and see how conduct themselves and what type of industry knowledge they seem to have.

Check that they are prepared to call you back in a timely manner. Try to talk to other people in the industry or other landlords they manage property for. A personal recommendation is is extremely valuable when it comes to a property manager. 

Finally, go with your gut. If you get a good feeling from a certain property manager and they tick all the boxes, then that is likely to be a good fit. 

If you're concerned, sign on for a shorter period of time as a trial, and see how they perform. 

A great property manager is a huge benefit to you and your investment portfolio. You wouldn't accept working with poor employee or contractors as a business owner, so treat your investments like a business and find the best talent you can.