Communication Tips for Your Portland Investment Property

This is a technology-driven society, and that presents both an opportunity and a challenge for communication. For example, statistics show that more than two billion emails are sent across the world every single day. But, only one-third of those emails are opened. To effectively manage your rental property , communication is essential. Not only do you have to communicate transparently and frequently; you also have to be willing to communicate in ways that make sense. Sometimes, an email is the best way. Sometimes, you need to have a phone conversation and sometimes – in person dialogue is the only way to conduct business.

At Burgess Elliot Real Estate, we value communication, and we believe that being a small property management company allows us to communicate effectively with our owners and our tenants. Today, we’re sharing some of the ways that we’ve learned to communicate more effectively when it comes to your investment property.

Good communication starts with good relationships. We work hard at building trust with our owners and our tenants. This is important. Our owners need to know that we’ll keep them informed and make smart decisions about their investments. Tenants need to feel secure calling us when there’s a repair that’s needed or because a rent payment is going to be a few days late. We nurture relationships by sharing expectations and discussing responsibilities. We want everyone to be on the same page. Not only does this help us with our communication, it also helps us inspire a better rental experience for all parties.

Communicating online is easy and swift and efficient. You can send and respond to emails in the middle of the night or while you’re sipping morning coffee in your pajamas. You can text while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store and send photos through a range of social media sites. This is instantaneous and easy for many people to grasp. We communicate this way when it’s the best way. We use email and messaging and social media platforms. We ensure our website is an easy place for owners and tenants to come for information. We provide online rental payments and application processing. We embrace all of this technology.

However, we also know when we need to have a real conversation. It’s easy to forget about the emails you read yesterday and didn’t respond to yet. You can silence your phone and not receive texts for a few hours. You can also misread something that arrives electronically. When it’s necessary or convenient, we’ll pick up the phone and have an in-person conversation. This is critical to good property management. Sometimes, we need to actually see how your property looks. We like to meet with the tenants so we know who will be living there. Our plan is to easily blend electronic and in-person communication and to know when to use which.

Good property management requires systems. We have systems for applying for a property, systems for collecting rent from tenants, and systems for paying you. There’s a procedure for maintenance requests, and a 24/7 line that tenants know to use for emergencies. When you have consistent systems in place and everyone knows what to expect, communication is a lot easier.

We’re here to help you communicate better. If you have any questions, please contact us at Burgess Elliot Real Estate.