Property Management Recommendations in Oxford, MS?

[Will Graham]

Does anyone have any recommendations for good property managers in Oxford, Mississippi?

Thanks!

[Josh Cissell]

Quote from @Chris Seveney:

@Donnie Brimm

What about investor friendly agents. I was looking at some property and made six calls to agents and not one has called me back….

 This is an old post, but I thought I would give a few suggestions here for anyone looking for property management in the future.

Getting a good property manager can make or break your rental investing experience. If you're investing in real estate as a passive investment, it should be hands-off for you. It should NOT be a passive gig for your property manager, too. Unfortunately, sometimes that happens, and it doesn't end well. These are all the horror stories you read about property managers.

Of course, as a management company owner, I will recommend using a full-time property management company. Real estate sales and rental property management are very different ballgames. Both require a real estate license, but the license requirements in Mississippi are focused on sales and have little to do with rental property management.

A rental property is a significant asset, and you want to make sure you have the best manager to ensure years of worry-free investing. If it appears that a company or agent spends a large portion of their time on general sales, you need to ask how much time and money they invest in their property management business. Are they staying on the cutting edge of the property management industry, OR are they pushing hard to grow their sales business? It's difficult to do both. A full-time property manager can handle representing their clients in buying new investments, but that isn't the same as someone whose primary focus is listing properties and representing average buyers who need to be shown properties for months before purchasing.

You also want to make sure you and the property manager you hire are a good fit. A bad fit won't be fun in the long run. If you're the type that wants to be heavily involved and your manager doesn't allow it, you're not going to be happy. On the opposite end, if you want a hands-off approach, and your manager calls wanting your input all the time (a glorified gopher), you should have just managed the property yourself.

As far as sales agents go, you need one who understands the market and will also ensure you get the correct numbers from a property manager who does this daily. You don't want to purchase based on speculative rental rates from other agents. We work with many agents to make sure they have accurate comps for their clients.

I've managed property in Oxford since 2007 and would be happy to speak to anyone interested in the Oxford market.

Josh Cissell