how to become a property manager in california

How To Find A Great Property Manager in California

Searching for a great property management company somewhere in California?

The search can be difficult in some regions given fewer companies servicing that industry. Even after finding one online, you could discover their credentials, staff, experience, and management tools don't quite cut it.

Screening and vetting property management firms is much like screening tenants, but this time, your business may be on the line if you make a mistake. Property managers have many comments online that warn of caution given the cost of a maintenance or financial services management company and risk of them mismanaging your properties.

The California Market Has Changed in 2021

The California rental market was strong, yet the Covid 19 crisis and an exodus of businesses and tenants leaving for Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Washington and Florida is making your business challenging. A new property management company could make a difference, but only if they're modern and are competent.

And due to rising vacancies and flat rents, California landlords and property managers might find 2022 a little more challenging. And those challenges include wage increases, vehicle and fuel costs, lumber and materials costs, tools and machinery prices. And if they're not using modern property management software, they'll find old management tasks eat up all of their time.

The software property management service companies use tell a lot about how they do their work and how they feel about costs and profitability.

Finding Good Property Managers

Property management companies are key players in the rental income real estate business yet you've likely already found many who fail to deliver efficiency, leverage modern software-driven capabilities, or offer appropriate prices. Aside from price, the quest really is for competence.

Your choice of property managers is very important. They will be in contact with tenants, keeping you well informed, solving mechanical and maintenance issues for you, and maintaining a cost efficient rental property.

We all want to save money yet a poorly chosen property manager is a sure way to ruin your rental investment returns.

What to Look for in a Worthy Property Management Company

are a licensed California property management service firm with licensed staff experienced with your property types and the typical issues you have
have plenty of clients but room to handle more
at least several years of experience to prove they will be around longer
possesses great current clients and don't use craigslist for property management leads
has talented, professional and customer-oriented maintenance staff
has clear, well written leases and contract agreements
service requests handled real time, responsively and with courtesy
customers are all within an acceptable serviceable radius
within 10km of your multifamily properties
they use modern property management software and help you manage your investments/properties/tenants with utmost efficiency and good communications
provide detailed owner reports, income statements, cash flow, and other accounting reports
have management fee terms you can understand and forecast (no surprises)
asks you great questions to demonstrate interest and competence
they are mobile and ready to help tenants and landlords
service equipment is in good condition
good record of maintenance ticket management and conducting property audits
buildings and properties look good upon inspection
excellent company website and ability to help you get new tenants

A Few California Property Management Firms

Property Management Companies in Los Angeles

Stern Property Management
5979 West Third Street, #202
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: 323 525-1501
Website: sternmanagement.com

Property Management Companies in San Francisco

Gordon Property Management
1596 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
Phone: 415 554-8812
Website: gpmsf.com/

Property Management Companies in Companies in San Diego

Utopia Management's service mix is extensive and they have numerous local locations within California to serve you. They offer services for rental house, condo and apartment management and association bookkeeping.

Utopia Property Management
7343 Ronson Rd #F, San Diego, CA 92111
Phone: 858-627-9320
Website: utopiamanagement.com

Property Management Companies in San Jose, CA

Cornerstone Property Management
1190 S Bascom Ave Suite 108, San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: 408-377-3000
Website: cornerstonepm.net

Property Management Companies in Orange County, CA

OC Pro Property Management
202 W Lincoln Ave Suite G, Orange, CA 92865
Phone: 714-202-8100
Website: ocpropm.com

Property Management Companies in Sacramento, CA

Sacramento Property Management Services
2300 N St, Sacramento, CA 95816, USA
Phone: 916-446-6663
Website: sacramentorentals.com

Property Management Companies in Riverside, CA

Riverside Property Management
6960 Magnolia Ave #103, Riverside, CA 92506
Phone: 951-777-2811
Website: rivpm.com

Property Management Companies in Oceanside/Carlsbad, CA

Chamberlain Property Management
2653 Roosevelt St d, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: 760-434-7373
Website: cpmteam.com

Property Management Companies in San Bernardino, CA

Essex Realty Management Inc.
1950 S Sunwest Ln, San Bernardino, CA 92408
Phone: 949 798 8100
Website: essexrealty.com

Property Management Companies in Oakland, CA

Vision Property Management
3007 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
Phone: 510 225-0470
Website: vpmpropertymanagement.com/

Please Note: We're not able to personally recommend any or the above property management companies. Please ensure they have the appropriate credentials and licensing in California via https://www.irem.org/credentials/for-individuals/cpm. Check them out on Indeed and Yelp for better insight.

They may or may not work for your specific needs. Please follow our tips for interviewing and selecting a good and reputable provider. They may be honest yet not be competent in property management. Remember, that a company may have references from many years ago, yet they're not the provider they used to be. Perhaps their high quality staff have left, equipment is aging, management hasn't evolved, and they've lost key accounts. These are frequent business events and issues that impact reliability and service quality in property management.

The more questions you ask, the better the overall view you'll have of whether they're a professional quality California property management firm.

Get more information on the California housing market , Hawaii Housing market, Arizona housing market and the multifamily market as well as the US rental property market. Have you checked out the vacation rental market? Using modern rental property software, management of short term stay properties is becoming feasible. Good luck in 2020!

Not in California? Try these property management service providers: Hawaii Property Managers, Arizona Property Managers, Florida Property Managers, Illinois Property Managers, Washington Property Managers, and Boston Property Managers. And find Australia Property Management firms, learn more about the Australian Housing Market Outlook.

Property Management