Six Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Commercial Property Manager
Choosing a manager for your office, flex, industrial or retail property? These six questions separate a true partner from a rent-collection service.
By LegaSea Management ·
A property manager does far more than collect rent. The right partner protects the value of your building, keeps good tenants in place and gives you the information you need to make confident decisions. Before you sign a management agreement, ask these six questions.
1. How many properties does each manager handle?
Portfolio size matters. A manager stretched across too many buildings has less time for site visits, tenant relationships and the small problems that turn into big ones. Ask who your day-to-day contact will be and how many other properties that person oversees.
2. How often will someone actually visit the property?
Regular, in-person walkthroughs catch roof leaks, parking lot damage and tenant concerns early. Ask how often site visits happen, what gets inspected, and whether you’ll receive written inspection reports.
3. What does owner reporting look like?
You should receive more than a ledger. Good reporting explains what happened, why it matters and what the manager recommends next: variances against budget, upcoming lease expirations, deferred maintenance and capital needs. Ask for a sample monthly report.
4. How are CAM charges budgeted and reconciled?
For NNN properties, common area maintenance (CAM) budgeting and year-end reconciliation directly affect both your tenants’ trust and your bottom line. Ask how the manager builds the CAM budget, how often it’s reviewed and how reconciliations are communicated to tenants.
5. How are vendors selected and managed?
Ask whether the manager competitively bids contracts, how vendor performance is monitored, and whether any markups are added to vendor invoices. Transparent vendor management keeps costs predictable.
6. Does the manager think like an owner?
The best managers understand that every decision, from a lease renewal to a parking lot repair, affects the long-term value of the asset. Ask whether they own or invest in property themselves, and how that shapes their recommendations.
Thinking about a change in management? Request a complimentary property review or call us to start the conversation.
