Breaking It Down: The Steps to Hiring a Property Management Company You Can Trust

Oftentimes, Homeowners Associations (HOA) are inundated with tons of responsibilities. For a group of volunteers that are elected to the HOA, these responsibilities are often overwhelming and time-consuming. That is why hiring a property management company can be a game-changer. But for a group of people already so busy, hiring a company can be a daunting task. Choosing the best one that is right for your community seems impossible at first, but we broke it down for you. We even made a handy checklist for you included in The Ultimate Guide for Hiring a Property Management Company for Homeowners Associations (HOAs).

Check out these steps to hiring a property management company made easy:

1. Review Governing Docs and Get Member Buy-in

You’ll want to review the governing documents (they usually include the HOA’s rules, regulations, guidelines and other community bylaws) for restrictions on employing a third-party like a property management company for help. Before you move onto Step 2 though, you’ll need to make sure every member of the HOA has all agreed to move forward. Because this is a big decision, you don’t want a few members unhappy with it. Invite everyone to make suggestions about services they prioritize and make it collaborative to ensure that every member is a part of the process.

2. Determine the Scope of Services You Need

You have already reviewed the governing documents in Step 1 and collaborated with members, so now determining the services you need help with should be a breeze! There may be limitations on what responsibilities can be given to a property manager, but there are five important functions the HOA board should take into consideration when deciding which services they want handled by the company:

Accounting and Collections
Community Maintenance
Rules Enforcement
Board Education
Legal Advice

3. Narrow Down Your Options

Reach out to other similar communities in the area to see if they have any referrals. Now that you understand what you need from a property management company, find a handful of companies in the area. Talk to these companies (ideally 5 or so), and figure out their priorities, and how they’ll support the HOA. This can help you narrow down your list to a select few that you will then bring in for the hiring process.

4. The Hiring Process

Now that you have a selective list of property management companies, you can schedule interviews with each of them. (Check out the 20 questions you can ask them here.) This is critical to the process and allows you to engage one-on-one with the company to gauge if they’re a right match for you.
Does your state require licenses and credentials? If so, check that. You want to make sure you hire a company that not only abides by your community’s rules, but also by state, federal, and local laws.
By now, you probably have an idea of exactly who you want to hire, but the next step of the hiring process is something that should not be overlooked. Consider checking the company’s background checks. Also, take a moment to obtain a copy of their insurance. You may want to consult with an insurance agent to see if the insurance is adequate for your community.
During the interview, the property management company should have given you a few references. Talk to them to see if this company is the right for you.

5. Finalize the Deal

You narrowed it down to one spectacular company. Review the contract very carefully. (Check out this blog for tips on what to look for.) Have the HOA’s attorney – and if you don’t have one, find an experienced one in the area – to look over the contract before you sign. Once the contract is reviewed, sign on the dotted line.

Congrats! If you followed these steps, you just hired a property management company. Now it’s time to work on developing a great working relationship between the board and management company so the community can flourish.

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{We retained West Property Management to take over managing our brand new HOA. As a brand new builder community, West Property Management had to help manage numerous complicated developer-builder-homeowner transition matters. Despite the often unpredictable and/or complicated tasks that our HOA faced, West Property Management handled these matters in a very “can do” and no-nonsense manner. Their timely approach, expertise and patience with a new, novice Board of Directors also made working with West Property Management productive and positive. The Board continues to enjoy working with them and highly recommend them for property management needs.

Michelle R.

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When selecting West Property Management, you can expect professionalism, follow-through, and success in managing your property(ies). It all started with listening to our expectations and consistently delivering superior service and expertise without prompting for our 350 properties; telephone calls and e-mails were tactfully responded whether there was a complaint or a compliment.

When evaluating a property management company, we felt the primary factor was collaboration to learn what we should or should not do to effectively manage processes. The second important factor was the skillful management of suppliers to reduce outstanding receivables and ensure the successful delivery of work products through excellent customer service. West Property Management always displayed a “can-do” attitude and resolved any issues with persistent alacrity.

West Property Management’s impressive knowledge and practical approach we highly recommend irrespective of what level of management you seek. Both Lynn Weymer (our Property Manager) and Chris Westerlund (the owner) were always available to consult on Board matters and always resolved any presented issues. We will continue to work with West Property Management and look forward to our continued partnership.

Patricia F

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It was a pleasure working with Chris. He was very professional and went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and informed every step of the way. I give Chris and West Property Management my highest recommendations and look forward to working with them for all my future property management needs.

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West has been such a joy to work with – they’ve brought a new level of professionalism and experience to our HOA and we’re grateful to be working with them!

Mike L.

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West Property Management has been so wonderful to work with. Excellent communication and customer service. A professional organization who provides a wonderful personal touch. I’d highly recommend them!

Ji L.

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Chris Westerlund and West Property Management were great. Being a realtor, I deal with a lot of property management companies. I reached out to Chris about obtaining HOA resale documents. He was instrumental in getting the documents delivered to me that same day when we needed them in a rush. In addition, he used his resources to find the contact information for the company we had been trying to find for a couple of weeks. I’d highly recommend anyone/business looking for property management services to reach out to Chris and West Property Management!

Kevin W.