How much do you want the business?
We recently had an experience that highlighted the difference between winning a sale, and coming in second.
Some background.
My wife and I own a small apartment building in Scottsdale AZ. Since we live in Northern California, we needed to hire someone to manage it. We have had someone in place for several years, but about a week ago, he called me and told me that he didn’t have the staff to continue managing our building.
So, I set out to find a new building manager. After doing a Google search for Property Managers in Scottsdale, I found three that seemed possible.
I called each one, and spent some time discussing the situation and my needs. The condition of the building, the history of the tenants, and a little bit about the neighborhood. I then asked each one if they wanted to talk to the current manager, or take a look at the building.
2 of them said “No, we know the area”, and emailed me their standard marketing material and pro forma contract.
The third one said, “Yes, I would”. Interestingly, this was the most experienced of the three. She had previously managed buildings on the same block. But even so, she called the current manager. She went down to the building and talked to tenants. She did some research on other buildings nearby.
When she called me back, she had a plan on what to do.
Making the choice was a no-brainer.