Much like the first season of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story, the world of property management can be fun to watch, but also entirely unpredictable! Renting out an apartment at times can feel impossible, with unsure applicants, shaky market trends and so much more. But there are professional tricks of the trade that can make property management far easier and the lessons actually come from TV’s American Horror Story itself. So once you’ve looked into all the legalities of leasing with articles like these from cicreports.com, check out the wisdom from AMS, to make property management a breeze.
Don't Withhold Information
Unlike Marcy’s willingness to withhold all the murders that occurred at the murder house from the Harmons, you don’t want to withhold any information from potential renters, as one slip up via a Google search could spoil the sale along with your career. It’s a bit extreme to assume that a tiny white lie will lead to numerous families getting taken out by ghosts at your property, but it’s not a bad idea to pretend that’ll happen if you lie at an open house or tour. It also boils down to a matter of business principles also. When you lease or manage a property you represent the firm you work for and/or more importantly yourself. When you lie, you potentially throw out your credibility and burn your bridge. When it comes to property management you always want to build bridges!
Talk about What's Been Added
“Everything was meticulously restored.” Marcy humorously said while showing off the murder home. People absolutely love new things. Did the unit just get new insulation? Tell the potential renter that. Did new window frames get installed? Tell them that too. No detail is too minor to make or break a potential sale. Because you don’t know where the applicants just came from. A remodeled rental property may sound like a dream come true in comparison to most. It’s also just a positive aspect of property management to begin with. You want to always be positive when it comes to property management, from dealing with potential applicants, to your residents positivity goes a long way. And if Marcy can sell the murder home, then you should have no problem!
Perseverance Is Key
One really blunt lesson we learned from Marcy in American Horror Story comes from this quote discussing the murder home’s history: “No matter how gruesome or horrible the murder, you can always find someone who’ll buy the house.”
And as crazy as it sounds, it’s true. Despite what’s happened at a property or what condition it used to be in, there is someone who may be hesitant but still willing to take the negotiation further. Or you may get lucky and the potential renter may not care whatsoever. Either way, appropriate perseverance is key. Obviously don’t follow the rental applicant once they’ve left or harass them, but do push for a timely decision. Don’t be shy to promote, and really brag about the highlights that a property has. Selling is never easy, but although fiction, American Horror Story can stand as an example of how selling an applicant on any property is possible despite insurmountable odds.
Know When To Hire Outside Help
Sometimes though, you can take all the lessons and still be a smidge off your property management game. Of course, there’s always ways to be more self-aware of how you’re handling business. This article can help you distinguish good habits from bad ones. But as Marcy says: “Everybody thinks they have style and everybody thinks that they’re funny. Most people aren’t.”
Sometimes you just need to hire outside help when you lack in a certain area. Take for example lawn maintenance: you likely don’t have time to do all the exterior maintenance yourself. That would be the time to hire outside help. And there’s no shame in it! Because you may just be better at different things. Just like American Horror Story, everyone has a different role to play!
And there you have it. These have been some of the best property management tips from American Horror Story. Sometimes life can imitate art, and here we see that even when the odds are against you in the realm of property management, there’s still tricks of the trade and honest lessons to be learned and utilized. As with anything practice makes perfect. With this guide, you should be managing your properties a whole lot better, and hopefully, none of them are the murder home!
Did you learn anything from American Horror Story? Tell us about it in the comments!
