Difference between Real Estate Agent and Property Manager

In this article, we are going to discuss the difference between a real estate agent and a property manager. Too many times we have heard a landlord say, “I got someone that helps me out with my property.” So we ask them, “What do they do for you exactly?” They reply to us and say, “They do rentals. They help me fill the occupancy.”  We then ask a question in return, “What are you looking for? Why are you contacting us?” 

Apparently, these landlords work with real estate agents to handle their property but not for maintenance. They handle phone calls but they can’t guide them through issues in handling situations like security deposits.

A lot of real estate agents do that because they want to help out. These are usually the people they helped sell properties to in the past. They might also enjoy it to a certain degree and think that they are good at it. But at the end of the day, they are not doing their clients any type of service with these piecemeal property management solutions. Landlords can be like, “Well, I collect the rent or I do this.”

Again, a property manager’s job is to handle everything for you, the landlord. Ideally, all you have to do is worry about how much money gets into your bank account. If you are looking for someone to take care of everything, that is when you hire a property manager. A property manager will obviously handle the leasing like a real estate agent handles all of the paperwork. In addition, property managers handle all the financials of accounts receivable and accounts payable. This is to make sure that your property is inspected, passing all types of regulations within the town and city you are in.

Property managers are also there to also guide you, be an adviser, and most importantly, be more proactive. A lot of times, real estate agents that help you out with your property are just there when you call them. 

In addition, their goal, most of the time, is to make commissions on the rental of the property. They just want to rent it out as fast as possible, and they are not trying to push that rent up high.

My job as a property manager is to make you more money. That includes analyzing the market, providing suggestions to maximize the exposure that you get. Overall, we work with you in helping increase your income, decrease your expenses, and get an overall higher net amount. Those are the real big differences between having a real estate agent and a property manager to help you out with your property.

If you or anyone you know is looking for a property manager to take care of all your headaches and worries related to your property, please think of Green Ocean Property Management: where you get more than a property manager, you get peace of mind.