Are you an efficient property manager? Would you say that you’ve honed your time-management skills? If you are, or you would, then congratulations! Focus on what you’ve been doing and keep it up! Otherwise, there may be some strategies for you to employ that can help to change things for the better.
Simple Fixes Can Make You More Efficient
As a property manager, you have a lot of work to do. Usually, that means multitasking, balancing, juggling a dozen jobs with a dozen things on your mind. Some of these projects may have been sitting on your desk for weeks, or they can arise in an instant when a tenant brings up a complaint that requires immediate attention. It can be stressful and likely overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be so bad; if you’re in a better mood, you’ll get more work done, which will impact your business and clients as a result.
So, how do you go about improving things on a day to day basis? Something to keep in mind is that it isn’t only your work. More than likely, you work with other people and their problems can impact you and vice versa. If a tenant needs maintenance work done, then your peace of mind may depend on a good contractor. As a result, try to surround yourself with employees who function similarly to yourself: for example, who are a little more laid-back, or who think it’s best to attend immediately to every kind of problem. Also, make sure to try and connect with them, to encourage communication and avoid misunderstandings of what is expected of them and of your tenants. “Allowing time for questions, concerns and clarifications now will save everyone time and frustration down the road.”
As with a number of other professional situations, creating a list or schedule can make a huge difference in the flow of your day to day. The good news is that this can be done on a number of platforms, whether you simply set alarms and make lists on paper or use tech, utilizing tablets and smart phone apps to manage your time. While you’re doing this, keep priorities in mind and make sure to arrange the list not only by what needs to be done at which time, but how important each of those things are and by which point they need to be finished. This will help keep you on top of the heap and to remember.
A tip that isn’t revolutionary, but which does need to be said as a reminder, is that you should do the most work at your schedule. That is, if you’re a night owl, don’t force yourself through the brunt of the work in the morning, and vice versa. This way, you waste as little time possible while being efficient and achieving maximum productivity. Of course, not everyone has the same internal clock, so make sure to get in things like appointments or meetings with tenants during regular business hours.
Though multitasking can be very good, it can also be very difficult. If you allow yourself to undertake too many tasks at once, that alone can be taxing: not only that, but it can impact your entire workload and make things infinitely more stressful for you. “Studies show that working on tasks one at a time until you complete them is actually the most efficient way to get things done.” As a result, it’s more efficient for you to take things one by one so that you’ll be less easily distracted and can keep focus on the task at hand. Along the same lines, try and group tasks on your to-do list together that are similar; it’ll be more easier for you to work on items that require similar states of mind, such as responding to all e-mails, making several phone calls in a row, scheduling tenant meetings.
Something that a lot of people forget to utilize is TECHNOLOGY. There are so many websites and apps that are devoted to you and your work, to boost productivity and offer tips for success. A simple search on your computer or phone may reveal exactly the kind of help you’ve been looking for, such as specialized calendars or reminder systems. Anton Systems is a big believer in using technology to be as efficient as you can, which is why we offer SKYLINE software. This powerful property management solution helps you to get everything organized and under control on a day to day basis, simplifying your work. Because of the systems’ versatility, it can be adapted based on your needs as business changes. Wouldn’t you like to have a little more of a success guarantee?