Management Company Experiences

[SablePoint]

I read the thread about Management Companies from last August. People had lots to say about Beach Rentals of SW... and a few other companies.

But is there anyone who has experience with Paradise Found Vacation Rentals? We've already been unhappy with the first company we used and are considering Paradise Found this time.

But after what I've read about other companies on the previous thread I'm concerned that there's a good chance that things could become worse if we picked the wrong company! Maybe our last company wasn't so bad after all?

I'm also curious about experience that anyone has had with Southern Resorts? (We own in Seacrest Beach... a condo on the pool.) Or is there any company out there that anyone would highly recommend?

Bottom line is that we want a company to make it easier on us. We expect that we'll do most of the bookings... and just want to rest easy that our guests will have a good check-in experience and walk into a clean condo.

BTW. I'm new to this site and have been lurking and read most of the threads in the Real Estate discussion and select threads in the Rental discussion over the last few days. Wow! I sure wish I had found this site a long time ago (my architect just recommended it to me).

Great Job Kurt! We'll probably be getting a Virtual Tour from you soon! Thanks for everything that you do!

 

[Beach Runner]

We are considering vbro.com. Our neighbor uses it and gets more rentals than we do. Our rental management agency is pretty good compared to others (so I don't want to change), but if we weren't there frequently to check up on things, the house would not be well maintained. And the damage deposit is a joke because they don't want to risk offending a customer and jeopardizing a future rental. We've had a lot of damage from renters and have never collected a penny from damage deposits, even when there has only been one renter between when we we saw no damage and the damage occurred (gee, let me guess who did it!).

 

[SablePoint]

Hi Beach Runner -

We used VRBO last year and booked up the summer pretty quickly so we're pretty happy with that. The management company managed to rent it 10 days total... and we rented it for about 12 weeks. We paid them 20% for the weeks that we rented it... and I'm okay with that... but we weren't happy with a lot of things including once when we arrived at our unit (after it had been rented but had been vacant for about a week) and it had not been cleaned. On the other hand, we didn't have any problems with our guests checking in, etc. We were never completely happy with the unit being cleaned to our standards, but maybe we expect more than is realistic. And my wife, who keeps the books, was in a constant struggle with them to pay us what they owed us because they never seemed to get it right.

At the end of this year we decided to not renew with them and are now looking for another management company. Our partners in the condo wants to go with Paradise Found Vacation Rentals but I'd really like to get an opinion from someone who has used, or is currently using, them.

Our place is almost brand new and we have it very nicely appointed. I expect wear and tear... and even occasional damage as I guess it's the nature of the business.

We'd just like a company to manage our unit that is responsive to us (and our renters). We can generate the rentals. We just need someone to service our renters without creating more problems than they solve.

Would you tell me the name of your management company that you seem to be happy with? How long have you used them? Do they generate many rentals for you... or do you book most of the rentals? Do they do a good job of keeping your unit clean? Are they responsive to you and your renters? I presume they pay you without any problems or you probably wouldn't be happy with them...

Thanks for your help.

 

[Jdarg]

Good morning Sablepoint!

 

[skippertoo]

 

[Paula]

We use BRSW and are pleased overall. We also use VRBO and get many bookings from them, though BRSW has gotten us some excellent bookings this year. I think the biggest thing you want from the management company is good cleaning and good care of guests. I think a dirty place is one of the biggest turn-offs to guests and I've been pleased with BRSW cleaning.

We/I come down at least once every other month (it's a tough job but someone has to do it ) to check on things. There's usually some small maintenance to be done and I call the management company to send the maintenance men and they are very good. I'll look very carefully at the quilts and slip covers and I usually end up washing all those when I'm there, though they are also done sometimes when I'm not there. I'll get rid of pillows/blankets/etc. that are getting worn. I do the "big jobs" like bleaching the porch about every six months (it gets moldy), cleaning the outside lights/trash cans/etc. I do the "deep cleanings". And I patch and paint the window frames after hurricanes (from the wood that is nailed up to protect the homes). Rather than hire someone to do these things, I'd rather use the money for an airplane ticket and do it myself and get a trip to SoWal.

I think the smartest thing I did this year at the cottages was to get the long-life (6 year) light bulbs throughout the cottages. It's expensive in the short run, but they are supposed to save money over the years in electric bills. Also, guests are less likely to have lights that aren't working and you don't end up paying a maintenance person to change the bulbs when the guests call to say some lights are out.

Finally, it is helpful to think of the relationship with the management company as a partnership in which you are invested in each other's success.

 

[Miss Kitty]

SablePoint!!! Good luck in your search!


Paula....do those lightbulbs really last that long? I am so interested in knowing this!!!

 

[Kurt]

SP


I don't own rentals but have done virtual tours for Paradise Found Vacation Rentals (PFVR) since they opened.

I've known Gary Bennett several years before he started the company when he was with other agencies. He's always been sharp and responsive and great to deal with as far as my business. So have the reps in the office.

PFVR is a medium size company which is probably a good thing. Hopefully some of their clients/customers will add their input.

www.pfvr.com

 

[Unplugged]

SP

Where is your place/ is it currently listed on the web?

We own 2 rental properties in the area, and my experiences are similar to Paula's & BR's.

Hands down, the BEST rental site I've used is findvacationrentals.com. I receive many MORE inquiries/ bookings from this site than any of the other popular sites by a factor of 3:1 or better.

We also have a very healthy referral network in the area. We pass along inquiries to friends & colleagues for weeks where we're already booked.
________________________

 

[SablePoint]

Hello Everyone. Thanks for the warm reception to a new member.

Our condo is on the 3rd floor overlooking the 12,000 sq. ft. pool at Seacrest Beach.

I just put together this site over the holidays:
www.RentAMillionDollarCondo.com
We are also listed at
www.VRBO.com/54916

Thanks for your 2 cents worth on Paradise Found, Kurt. This board (and your site) is great!

Are there any members out there who use Paradise Found that can share their experience? I beginning to realize that this may be a touchy subject for a message board thinking that it's probably not good to criticize local companies (although I'm seeking praise as well as criticism... which ever is warranted). Maybe members could PM me if they have experiences that would best not be publicized?

Thanks again to all of you.