I know this is probably quite rare, but if anyone has any experience in this, any advice will be appreciated.Thanks,Gene

The rental market is already showing signs of recovery:Spring Is Coming: Historically, the rental market picks up momentum in the spring as tenants prepare to move during warmer months or ahead of the school year.Early 2025 Trends Are Positive: In just the first week of January, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in rental applications, suggesting pent-up demand from renters who delayed their searches in November and December.What Landlords Can Do NowTo make the most of this recovery, consider:Refreshing Your Listings: Update your photos, descriptions, and pricing to ensure your properties stand out.Offering Incentives: Temporary discounts or move-in bonuses can help fill vacancies quickly.Being Patient: The market is already bouncing back, so don’t panic if your property takes a bit longer to lease than usual.What’s been your experience?

HI, I wold defimitley update  the photos.

This generated $2M+ in equity, and thus is highly lucrative, but takes 2-3 years.Note worthy: I am located in California, but I did this project in Canada.

Ask them if they'd mind sharing their experience with you.. if they'd recommend the area or not, and lastly if they could maybe send you a P/L sheet to see their income, expenses etc.You might run into some hosts that aren't responsive or any help, but it just takes a few people to share insight to get a good idea of the market you're dealing with.

(been working and succeeding since 2008 or before, someone you have experience with, good returns, close to 5yr investment?)

Ask how many units they manage and how much experience they have.

I'd use some stock photos till you can replace them.

Since I work pretty hard at my day job and don’t have much renovation experience, I wanted something simple—a rental I could put a tenant in and at least break even.

Ask them to update your photos and put your best foot forward.If the market is doing well and your PM is marketing poorly, then you have a case for complaint and/or moving to a new manager.