Initially it worked until he lost his job in June.

Some thoughts of what to do right away:See if the property is earning the market rate for rents (current owner says she does not know the market and has never checked).Find out if having the four tenants pay their rent online is an option.Track the leases (current owner has lost track of who is month-to-month, who is due for a rent increase, etc).Shop the insurance to see if they're overpaying.Since I'm new to this realm, I wondered: what else can a new commercial prop. manager do to quickly add value for their clients?

They never go away and there is no control over them from the owner perspective.

I just about lost it.

In Washington they would need to go to the department of licensing and fill out a affidavit for lost title which would function as a temporary title until the replacement comes.

I could easily find enough work for him to do to justify the lost of rent but is this smart?

What you don't give is lost forever.

never. think of the lost revenue and jobs that they will lose! 

Provided your unit is not located in a jurisdiction with rent control this advice applies.

He might have more value than you initially saw, but probably doesn't know how to show that to you except by doing a good job.The others are definitely gone, rents need to make it to market even if it means turning over some of the tenants (prudently with a strict eye on vacancy control).