So the biggest difficulty I've seen in people answering questions and hiring staff is... Where is your office at?

I almost broke down and used one of the locations as an office but it didn't seem ideal and quite frankly I would never be there. People work from their homes but over the phone people are not expecting to hear there's no office.

They start to question whether or not it's a legitimate Property Management Company. We work with a ton of places and I don't know if I have to just bite the bullet to give an address.

Even if I did have one, it would never be staffed nor would I go there. Leases are signed from emails, applications are done online. I am in too small of an area to have the virtual offices available.

Jen,

Often they are just making conversation.

My answer for 40 years:

“We meet folks at the house” (rental)

Never feel you have to answer someone’s question directly.

It’s like when kids ask where babies come from. We give an age-appropriate answer.

In your case I give a stranger-appropriate answer.

Brad.

Thank you. The problem is I don't meet folks at the house. Unless a contractor is doing work there, nobody does.

I've said "it's in one of the investors basements".

Buying my office building was the best move I ever did. It propelled me from landlord with offices at Taco Bell, to valued business person. Suddenly my banker was coming to MY office. I became friends with the Mayor. I'm having lunch with our constable next week.

More important was an immediate change in tenant relations. Before I was working out of my truck. Now, they bring their apps to the "office." I have a 12' conference table where we sign documents. Our place is pretty imposing, The whole front and parking is behind a wrought iron security fence. We have a big graphic of an AR15 rifle on the entry. "That" makes an impression on new tenants. LOL

You might be able to rent a "virtual" office or executive suite. These for $60-$150 a month give a place to get mail, use a staged office or conference room to meet clients.

I tell people we have a virtual office and no, I don't take meetings there ;)

I rarely meeting someone to sign a lease but when I do, we go have coffee at Starbuck's. Until then everything is email.

So, you're a property management company, right? And the callers you're more concerned about are your prospective clients-- landlords wanting you to manage their properties, and want to meet you in person to get a gauge for what kind of biz you run? Rather than prospective tenants, who you can easily handle via technology? And so you're not sure if you want to put in the expense (utilities, property taxes, and/or rent) in exchange for presenting the expected facade, because it's not like you actually need the space to run your biz?

You say you're in too small of an area to have virtual offices, but you're also in a big enough area for a property management company to be able to stay in business by working with "a ton of places". Is there a part of town that was thriving, say, 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, but is a little run-down at the moment due to some economic shift? So it's not "the" place to be, but you can pick up a place affordably, compared to the other places in town? Or is there a slightly run-down part of town that has, say, a bunch of those WWII-era bungalows that have been converted into small-biz shops, like bakeries/chocolates/children's thrift shops/doggy spa's/resale/whatever shops? Where you could pick up a kind of run-down place, fix it up and make things look decent/charming, and it would blend right in?

Office-hour presence doesn't matter. Hang a sign on the door that says "by appointment only" and put a phone number.

This is an opportunity to meet other people in your area who may have a store front where you could make use of some of their space.

If you have an accountant or insurance agent, these may be addresses where you could have mail delivered. Depends on the size of the business and whether you are there often.

(I would suggest the back table in an Italian restaurant. You would get new found respect).

It is actually Potential Renters That have a question. Low income renters with barely the rent money to their name are the ones that put up a roadblock of "where is the office located." I don't know if it's because they're not used to hearing property management are used to hearing landlord or owner.

Your potential tenants are rightly afraid of being scammed, especially with your business model. How do you do showings? Do your applicants even get to see the property or do you meet the applicants before they sign? Our office is in or home, and we sign leases, etc at the apartment that is for rent. I would not sign a virtual lease.

Lockbox showings. CONTRACTOR may be there working to let in. May not.

Local bank used to our people giving payments that way.

Lease signed from email then sent back

Used to meet at house to sign lease but found better time savings doing via email.

For the past 3 years I meet tenant at their current residence while I conduct the in home inspection. We then schedule a lease signing at my rental because they need to initial each item on the check in sheet.

Ah, if it's the prospective renters who are having trouble, I agree with Rathdrumgal. We have a cushion, so if we lose $x, it can make us grumpy... but apart from the inconvenience and waste, it doesn't really affect us. But for someone who's trying to live off a minimum wage job, losing $x represents a significant amount that they can't afford to lose to a scammer.

I do my showings in-person. I give them my applications in-person as well. I clearly have the key. I clearly have possession of the premises and the authority to rent it out. But if you're doing your applications online, and your lease-signing online... I can see that they would be hesitant to part with $x just on your say-so.

Do your prospects even walk through the space ahead of time? Do they ever meet you in person, and you get to smell them/their vehicle/see how they present themselves in person/make small talk with them/pick up on small clues?

This is a property manager that manages own properties but has no desire to say that to the renters. No sometimes we do not ever see people face-to-face before they move in. We want them to see the place before they even do an application. No there's not always someone there to unlock the door for them and I really have no desire for being there to meet with these people just so they can see it. There is an application fee so they would not be willing to complete an application before going to the place. We had We have had high turnover in the past. People are not staying seven years in the same location for the most part.

A couple long-term residents are considered three years plus.

There must be a reasonable economic efficient way to shift these responsibilities to anothers in various forms. The lockbox showing has seen heaven only knows how much savings. The lease signings over the phone saves time.

As Smoko says, the back table at a restaurant. I used to have the ultimate "power booth" at a local steakhouse where I could hold court and meet my subjects and local dignitaries. Sadly it closed and replaced with a bbq joint with... picnic tables. Hardly a suitable setting for the gawdmother. ;)

I have an actual office outside of the house but still on my own property. I'm rarely there.

Phone calls to the office line are pushed to my cell. Leases are signed electronically. Apps are returned electronically. I see prospectives at showings. Payments are deposited directly to the bank or paid online. The only time I "see" tenants is at the showing. If we didn't pre-lease everything I would be trying lockbox showings but I still have tenants in place when we show.

I'm the only PM in the area that doesn't have a walk-in office. I don't need prospectives or current tenants in my office. I'm about 40 minutes out of any town I manage or own in. And the only time I have people wanting to come to the office is when they want to pick a fight or start some drama. Which is why I closed the office in town in the first place.

If you're wanting to hire other people to do the day to day management you will likely have to find a centralized space to provide them a place to work. Not necessarily for tenants to frequent. But if you're going to be paying someone to manage the day to day grind how hard is it for them to run out & show a unit for someone who wants interaction at a showing?? Give people the option of a lockbox showing or having someone meet them. Give notice & show while occupied so you can prep your turn over work & not have much downtime between tenants. That will re-coup some employee expense. The only time I'm super busy with 50 units under management & 20 of my own is when I've got multiple units available which only happens about 2 times a year. I've streamlined about everything I can except showings. And showings are the part of the job I hate the most simply because I'm an introvert.

I toured an open house back when I lived in CA, like a ten million dollar pauper's hut in Newport Coast. It had the ultimate "work from home" space. A completely separate entrance and parking area with a four room suite set up with a reception and two offices and conference room. Had it's own patio area and water feature and ocean view. They were marketing to executives or celebrities who needed to meet people in a business setting and maybe had an assistant or two - and didn't mind meeting at their home.

My next home (I hope) will have something like that, totally separate from the house. Maybe not 10 mil worth, but a steel building with an office suite would be nice.

I have my office at work, but at home our den is a mess. My SO and I have two desks crammed in beside each other, surrounded by mountains of papers that I will never get around to sorting before it falls over and smothers me. The overflow spills onto the dining room table, and whenever anyone comes over there's a mad scramble so we don't look like hoarders. Sigh.

And then there is the late Hunter Thompson... anytime you think your office sucks and is a cluttered mess, check this photo out. I lived across the street from him in Key West back in the day. Yes, that is his kitchen / office. LOL

cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2005/03/05/1110036101_3630.jpg

Q “Where is your office?”

A “How can I help you?”

Best: answer a question with a question.

Never had this question come up, but I use the open house model for showings. I just recently started doing apps on line but lease signings and collection of the initial rent and deposit are done in person. I have an existing office for my full time business, so I often do the lease signing there which I find far more convenient as my copier and equipment is right there.

I cannot grasp the concept of people (landlords) not wanting to meet people (tenants/prospective tenants)... we are in a people business. Renting houses and apartments is my job. I am not large enough that meeting with the folks who pay me money is not worth my time. If I were that large, I'd have my own people to meet with people. I am "at work" all day, every day ... what else should I be doing except overseeing "the product" I sell.

I don't mind meeting people to sign leases, but sometimes it just doesn't work with their schedule or mine.

I *do* meet prospective tenants to show properties AFTER screening them a bit first - 90% do not pass initial screening.

Nicole brings up a great point. Here's my criteria if this helps.

I don't meet people before their app because they lie. Scoundrels know well how to look good in front of the LL and tell the LL what he..she wants to hear.

Currently helping a LL who rented to people because they were "nice". 3 residents now owe her $4000 each in back rent = $12,000. As I help her with eviction papers she continues to hesitate by reminding me "but they are so nice".

The internet, Trulia, HotPads, etc are flush with articles on how to present oneself in the best light when meeting a LL at a showing. (dress nicely, leave the kids at home, don't argue, borrow a clean car...)

Not arguing but if we spent 10 hours a month on 17 units x the number we manage, we'd do nothing but showings...to tons of people who don't qualify from the get go. We average 1.5 approvals out of every 10 applications.

I don't want another job! I'm in this of FREEDOM!!! not to be controlled by prospects.

We save our time to talk with the ones who qualify on paper.