Why I Call Every Resident When I Take Over a New Property

One of the first things I do when taking over a new property is start calling residents.

Every single one of them.

If there are 50 residents, I call 50 residents. If there are 200 residents, I call 200 residents. If there are 500 residents, it may take me a few weeks, but I'm still going to do it.

Most property managers think I'm crazy.

I don't send a mass email. I don't send a newsletter. I don't send a text message. I don't send an individual email introducing myself. I pick up the phone and call them.

Why?

Because emails get ignored.

Newsletters get thrown away.

Text messages feel impersonal.

But when a Property Manager takes the time to pick up the phone and personally introduce themselves, it sends a message.

It tells the resident that there's an actual person managing the community. A person who cares enough to reach out. A person who's willing to listen.

I've spent more than twenty years in property management, and I've learned something that many managers never figure out.

Residents should know who their Property Manager is before they need their Property Manager.

The first time a resident speaks to you shouldn't be when you're serving a lease violation. It shouldn't be when they're behind on rent. It shouldn't be when they're angry because a maintenance issue wasn't handled properly.

You need to build that relationship long before any of those conversations happen.

That's one of the reasons I believe so strongly in property walks.

Most managers walk a property looking for trash, landscaping issues, broken lights, maintenance concerns, or curb appeal problems.

I look for those things too.

But I'm also looking for people.

I want residents to see me.

I want them to know who I am.

I want them to feel comfortable stopping me.

Because if residents only see you when something is wrong, don't be surprised when every interaction feels confrontational.

One of the first residents that comes to mind was a guy named Matt.

Matt was always behind on rent.

For the longest time, he avoided me.

If he saw me coming, he'd go the other direction. If I called, he wouldn't answer. You know the type.

Then one day we actually started talking.

Not about rent.

About life.

Over time he opened up and told me what was going on. He told me he was embarrassed. He told me about the struggles he was dealing with.

Eventually our relationship changed.

I got to the point where I'd call him before rent was due and ask how things were going.

And you know what happened?

Matt started calling me before rent was due.

The rent problem didn't magically disappear.

The communication problem did.

That's a huge difference.

A resident who trusts you will tell you they're going to be late.

A resident who doesn't trust you will hide until the problem becomes a crisis.

I've seen the same thing happen in manufactured home communities.

Residents would come to me and say:

"Steve, I know my home is about to get a violation."

Think about that for a second.

Most managers never hear that sentence.

Instead, they discover the violation during an inspection, the resident gets defensive, and the situation turns into a battle.

My residents would often come to me before that happened.

Not because I had all the answers.

Because they knew me.

Because they knew I'd listen.

Because they knew I would try to help them find a solution.

Sometimes I'd connect them with a contractor.

Sometimes I'd point them toward resources.

Sometimes I'd help them come up with a plan.

And sometimes none of that worked.

Sometimes I still had to issue the violation.

When that happened I'd tell them:

"I take no pleasure in this, but I need to let you know I have to move forward."

The resident may not have liked hearing it.

But they knew I'd tried.

That's where I think a lot of managers get confused.

Leading with empathy doesn't mean avoiding accountability.

It actually makes accountability easier.

One of my favorite examples involved a resident who constantly complained about the size of her bathtub.

I'm serious.

The bathtub.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was the same size bathtub everybody else had.

But instead of dismissing her concerns, I went over and looked at it.

I listened.

I explained why I couldn't replace it.

She wasn't thrilled with my answer.

For a long time I don't think she liked me very much.

But every time I saw her during my property walks, I'd stop and talk.

Fast forward a year or two.

Now we're joking about the tub.

Every time she saw me she'd ask:

"So when am I getting my new bathtub?"

And I'd tell her:

"It should be there by 5 o'clock."

We'd both laugh.

The tub never changed.

The relationship did.

That's an important lesson.

Residents don't need you to give them everything they want.

They need to know you're listening.

They need to know you're fair.

One resident taught me that lesson better than anyone.

Her name was Teddy.

Now Teddy complained about everything.

If she baked me cookies, I knew she wanted something.

If she invited me over, I knew there was a complaint coming.

And usually there was.

But here's what made Teddy interesting.

She trusted me.

There were times she came to me with complaints and I agreed with her.

There were other times I absolutely did not.

And when I disagreed with her, I told her so.

Sometimes very directly.

Did she always like my answer?

No.

Did she respect it?

Yes.

Why?

Because she knew I was going to be fair.

I've always believed residents don't have to agree with every decision you make. But if they believe you're fair, they'll usually respect your right to make it.

One of my favorite examples of resident relationships happened at the pool.

On hot summer days I'd occasionally walk out with a box of Popsicles.

Nothing fancy.

I'd spend five minutes out there, hand out Popsicles, talk to residents, and move on with my day.

Some managers will read that and think it's ridiculous.

They're missing the point.

The Popsicles aren't the point.

The point is showing up.

The point is being visible.

The point is being human.

One evening after the office was closed, I was dealing with a situation at the pool involving someone who didn't belong there.

Things escalated.

The person became aggressive.

And before I knew it, every resident sitting around that pool stood up and started moving in my direction.

In that moment I realized something.

Those residents weren't responding to my title.

They were responding to the relationship.

Years of property walks.

Years of conversations.

Years of showing up.

All of those little interactions mattered.

Far more than I realized at the time.

Property management is a people business.

Always has been.

Always will be.

The software matters.

The budgets matter.

The reports matter.

The occupancy matters.

But at the end of the day, we're still dealing with people.

People who have problems.

People who need help.

People who need somebody willing to listen.

That's why when I take over a new property, I call every resident.

That's why I walk my properties every day.

That's why I believe residents should know who their Property Manager is before they need their Property Manager.

Because the strongest resident relationships are built long before the difficult conversations arrive.

And when those conversations finally come, you'll be glad you took the time to build the relationship first.

Further Reading

Why Every Property Manager Should Walk Their Property Every Day The daily habits that help managers identify problems early, improve curb appeal, and build stronger relationships with residents and staff.

Why Maintenance Supervisors Should Be Considered Co-Managers Great communities aren't built by the office or maintenance team alone. Learn why strong partnerships between managers and maintenance supervisors create better outcomes for everyone.

There Are No Two Islands One of the biggest mistakes in property management is allowing departments to operate independently. Discover why communication and teamwork matter more than ever.

Questions Have a Home The fastest way to overwhelm yourself as a property manager is to keep every question in your head. Learn how creating systems improves communication and accountability.

The Leadership Skills Nobody Taught Your Maintenance Supervisor A look at the human side of leadership and why relationships, communication, and trust matter at every level of a community.