As a property owner, I was reluctant to hire a property management company until I needed to leave the country for three years for my work and was forced to find someone local to manage our property. Since this time, I've returned and felt that I should share my experience with Azari Prop Management.
*** Strengths ***
First, I found that they were clear, fair, and firm (when needed) in dealing with tenants. They were clear, fair and firm (when needed) when dealing with property owner. This was music to my ears! Trust is the most important aspect of property management services.
Second, they never tried to milk my contracts for extra money. All repairs they did were straightforward and typically they look for ways to reduce costs sensibly. Having their own maintenance staff, repairs they can do are performed quickly and cost effectively. For larger repairs, they were able to coordinate well with outside vendors.
Third, they kept me informed about any issues occurring with the property so I could be involved (or uninvolved) as I wanted. This is great to keep tabs on long-term health of the property.
Fourth, they worked with tenants and leases that I had put in place (different from their standard stuff) and were willing and able to navigate all of that without issues or extra charges.
Fifth, they are very personable and responsive. They establish a high level of trust in their dealings. (Most management companies have hidden clauses that incur extra costs...Azari's group is totally clear and straightforward.)
Sixth, management fees are very reasonable compared to other companies in SF and nationwide.
*** Areas where they could improve ***
First, the only time they dropped the ball during the 3 years was during a personnel change. Once they were aware that something fell through the cracks, they remedied it immediately.
Second, we hired them to find new tenants for one unit during our absence. I believe this is a service that is outsourced to a different part of the company. We felt that while they were fast in finding tenants for the apartment, the specific people handling the job of advertising and showing the unit were not very savvy with the SF market and not very good at posting an appealing ad. We became involved to make suggestions and improvements to bring this process up to our standards. They were able to find new tenants within our expected time frame so we were satisfied.
*** Summary ***
+ Trustworthy - this is the most important aspect of the relationship
+ Responsive
+ Cost effective and affordable
Also, I've dealt with other property management companies in the interim (for investment properties in other States) and have never found a company that I could trust as much as Azari Property Management. I will definitely use their services again.
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