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9 Ways to Compare Property Management Companies
(And What to Look Out For)
Searching for a property manager usually starts the same way:
You open Google and type “[City Name] property management.”
Finding a list of companies is the easy part.
The real challenge is understanding how they compare, and which ones deliver integrity, competency, and value.
Below is a clear framework to evaluate any property management company and make an informed decision.
1. Decide What Services You Actually Need
Common services include:
Leasing (marketing, lead management, showings, tenant placement, etc.)
Property Management (handling maintenance, accounting, rent collection, tenant communications, etc.)
Vacation Rental Management (nightly and weekly—hospitality industry adjacent)
Short- to Mid-Term Rental Management (monthly rentals; a hybrid of long-term and vacation rental models)
Not every company provides all services. Knowing what you need makes comparisons far easier.
2. Understand How Property Management Pricing Works
Most companies charge using one of three models:
Percentage-Based Fees = Charges are often based on a percentage of the monthly rent.
Still the most common model.
Flat Fee Model = Charges a set price regardless of rent amount.
Often cheaper, but service quality is also often cheaper. (“you get what you pay for” applies here)
Combination Model
A company may charge:
- A percentage for leasing and a flat fee for management
- Or a flat leasing fee with percentage-based management
Important Notes
- Some companies have minimum leasing fees or minimum management fees.
- Some companies still charge recurring monthly fees when the property is vacant (often the flat-fee model companies).
3. Know What the Company Charges YOU
When comparing companies, calculate pricing across a full year, and not just the headline fee.
Property management companies often add fees for work performed throughout leasing and management. Some are reasonable; some are excessive.
Common owner fees include:
- Professional photos
- Premium marketing package
- Property inspection fee
- Lease renewal fee
- Make-ready / turnover project management fee
Additional “revenue stream” type owner fees we see:
- Onboarding / administrative fee
- Showing coordination fee
- Technology fee
- Maintenance coordination fee
- Security deposit disposition fee
- Property staging fee
- Emergency maintenance hotlines
- Document storage
- 1099 tax preparation fee
- Cancellation fee
Make sure you understand the total annual impact of all fees, and not just the leasing fee and the monthly management fee.
4. Know What the Company Charges Your Tenant
In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission sued multifamily giant Greystar for abusive tenant fee practices. Wall Street-backed single-family operators have adopted similar “additional revenue stream” models.
Unfortunately, many local single-family rental companies have been getting in on the action too—highlighting how widespread this issue has become in the rental housing industry.
Common tenant fees include:
- Application fee (tenant screening)
- HOA application fee
- Pet fee
- Tenant admin fee
- Late fee
- Online payment transaction fee
- Lease early termination fee
Additional “revenue stream” type tenant fees we see:
- Property hold fee
- Utility concierge fee
- Move-in fee
- Resident benefit package fee
- Amenity fee
- Bundled utility fee
- Valet trash fee
- Recycling fee
- Pest control fee
- Parking fee
- Technology fee
- Online maintenance portal
These Tenant fees directly impact:
- Your property demand
- Your property’s days on market
- Your tenant’s likelihood of renewing
- Your total cash flow
Always ask:
“What do you charge my tenants?”
It affects your bottom line more than most owners realize.
5. Do Their Incentives Align With Yours?
A strong management relationship requires alignment.
Your property manager should:
- Be incentivized to help you maximize net income
- Avoid making money when you spend money
- Focus operational decisions around efficiency, effectiveness, and tenant satisfaction
- Operate with a clear, mutually understood structure
If their fee model benefits them at your expense, the relationship will never feel aligned.
6. What Your Property Manager Should NOT Be Doing
Some practices are outdated, unprofessional, or simply illogical. High-quality companies avoid them.
Red flags include:
- An outdated website
- Advertising your property on Craigslist
- Advertising on Facebook Marketplace
- Using plain or low-quality photos
- Calling you for approval on every maintenance item
- Calling you with problems and not offering solutions
- Using antiquated technology, systems, and processes
- Saying “We treat your property like our own” (...unlikely)
Professional property management should feel like a structured partnership, not a guessing game.
7. Mistakes That Cost Owners Thousands
When researching companies, pay close attention to their marketing quality. Poor marketing quality has a very real financial cost.
Photography Mistakes
- Grainy photos
- Poor lighting
- Closed blinds
- Photos with the toilet seat up
- Photos that don’t show the full room
- Posting furnished photos for an unfurnished home
- People in the reflection of the photo
- Pets in photos
Property Description Issues
Descriptions should be:
- Factual
- Clean
- Easy to read
- Focused on necessary information
Overly descriptive and paragraph-heavy writing are often avoided.
Marketing Claims That Don’t Matter
- “We post your listing to 80+ rental sites!”
This hasn’t mattered in years. Your leads come from three primary places:
Zillow, Apartments.com, and Realtor.com.
Zillow, Apartments.com, and Realtor.com.
MLS exposure can help—especially for furnished rentals and relocation tenants.
Meaningless Guarantees
Many guarantees are simply standard business practices presented as marketing features.
No Human Lead Follow-Up
Chatbots and automated self-showing portals have replaced human communication at many companies. In reality, connecting with a human response is one of the strongest predictors of converting leads into showings.
8. Test Their Leasing Process Yourself
This is one of the most revealing steps.
Go online, find one of their available properties, and inquire.
Then evaluate:
- Did a human contact you?
- How quickly?
- Was there any follow-up?
- Did they ask you questions?
- Were they genuinely interested in helping?
- Was the information accurate?
- Was it all digital, with no human touch?
- How fast was the response?
- Was there meaningful follow-up?
This is exactly what your future tenants will experience.
9. Final Step: Audit Their Work Before Hiring Them
Before you choose a company, ask:
- How they price properties?
- What’s the quality of the photos?
- Are the property descriptions are readable and accurate?
- How are utilities handled?
- What is the fee structure? (does it make sense?)
- How quickly do they respond to inquiries?
- Are the listing details correct?
- Is their website easy to use?
- Is their website coherent?
- Do they offer resource pages and helpful resources?
Tenant & Landlord Spam
We know most people are able to sense the difference between authentic inquiries and spam, but for your entertainment, we've provided a real example of what a spam correspondence looks like. Enjoy!
