In 2022 everybody feels like they are busy, but not everyone feels productive. This article is for busy property managers who want to transform their day from busy and hectic to productive and methodical. In the property management industry, falling behind can lead to an overwhelming feeling of endless games of “catch-up”.
If you’ve thought to yourself “Well, if I just work a few extra hours this evening” or “it’s okay, I’ll grab this one call during dinner” then this article is for you. Enjoy our five productivity tips that can totally transform your day.
Make lists
Making lists is a common way to help accomplish more in a day, regardless of profession. For landlords and property managers, in particular, list making can help keep things straight, prevent tasks from slipping between the cracks, and give a sense of accomplishment as you cross items off your list. A to-do list can dampen the anxiety that comes with juggling multiple units, tenants, and buildings.
One thing at a time
Now, when you make that list, it might look a little daunting at first. Don’t panic, take one thing at a time and be sure to cross off tasks as they are complete. This will give you a feeling of progress and accomplishment. Focus on that one task at a time, no matter how much the phone rings or other matters may seem more pressing. Trying to juggle 3-4 items can lead to mental exhaustion and burnout.
Some people like to start with the quickest and easiest tasks on the list in order to cross tasks off and build off that feeling of accomplishment – a snowball effect of sorts. Others will prioritize the most challenging task first and dedicate a larger chunk of their time to completing that difficult task, so that even if you’re feeling a little tired later in the day, you can still cross off some of the easier tasks, having the hardest part behind you.
You’ll likely need to trial and error this for yourself to find what works best for you. Just remember, one at a time is most effective.
Outsource processes
Some processes can be outsourced more easily than others. Tenant calls, for example, are one of the most common property management processes to be outsourced. Many property managers and landlords use answering services to handle tenant calls.
An answering service can take messages from tenants, dispatch maintenance workers, and produce detailed call reports that give insight into the types of calls tenants are making. These insights can be used to infer trends and act proactively on common issues.
Stop working overtime
This might sound counterintuitive, but one of the most effective ways to be more productive is to step away from your desk more often. It’ll help clear your head and allow you to be more focused and productive in the time you allow yourself to work.
Giving yourself time constraints when working will increase your sense of urgency and promote creative solutions to tasks that you have completed outside of normal work hours before.
At Telelink, one of our Team Leaders used to spend an hour each day manually entering data into a spreadsheet and organizing it. He had accepted that an hour was how long it took to enter and sort the data. When our Team Leader cut his time back, he knew he had to get his data entry done but could not spend an hour doing it. He knew others must face similar problems and asked around, soon after he found an excel formula that allowed him to sort his data in under 10 minutes. Without forcing himself to step away and limit his time working he may never have found a more efficient way of doing data entry.
Automate repetitive tasks
Perhaps the biggest key to productivity in 2022: automation. The most productive property managers are automating nearly everything they can, within reason.
There are simple automations like creating email templates for common emails to tenants. Other simple automations that can save property managers a ton of time each day include using a calendar or booking software for leasing appointments or viewings, or automated rent collection/reminder emails.
There are also many available software that can help keep track of tenant maintenance requests, such as Arcori or Yardi. You can download a guide to our top 5 property management software here.
About Telelink
Telelink is Canada’s leading answering service provider for property management companies that value tenant relationships. We offer a specialized property management division that is dedicated to helping property managers keep tenants in their units longer. Our specialized scripting process builds your script based on industry best practices. Your script is designed to triage urgent and non-urgent calls while capturing all relevant information to minimize time wasted on internal follow-ups.
Please read one of our property management case studies and see how we’ve helped leading property management companies improve their tenant relations while giving managers their time back.
Related readings:
A Property Manager's Perfect Partner
Overcome 3 Common Property Management Challenges
GWL Residential Case Study
Martek Realty Case Study