Property management

We manage approximately 450 single-family homes. With that many properties, one may think that Clients may get lost in the shuffle... or the right hand may not know what the left hand is doing. Nothing could be further from the truth! As an organizational guru, Mark has devised a system that allows his staff to manage each area within the management structure, thus allowing each person to be a specialist in each department, rather than having each person managing all aspects of a specific number of rentals (as most companies do).

Mark demands and expects excellence from his staff and quite honestly, our staff expects this of themselves. We simply aren’t satisfied with mediocrity! This is what keeps our company growing faster every year than most companies on the Gulf Coast... even franchise companies. A common complaint we hear in this business is that most companies simply don’t have the staff to do the little things -like inspecting regularly and sending cure letters when improper activity is discovered. We have been told by other colleagues in the industry that we seem to have too many staff members and must be losing profits; but we think the opposite –we know that because we have the staff to serve all areas, we continue to grow and thrive. We subscribe to a different philosophy. Simply, it’s called SERVICE over pure profits!

But we would like to point out that with the incredible service and all the tedious processes that we utilize, comes a need to stay focused on the task at hand.When you review our management agreement, you will note that we are very particular about being your “pilot.” This is our “airplane” and we know how to fly it well. We ask that you please understand that when you hire us, you allow us to use our collective experience and knowledge to manage your property to not only ensure total liability protection for you, but also to ensure our processes remain streamlined and effective! We believe that you will find this to be liberating. Just as we couldn’t possibly know how to do your job to the level you can, we believe it’s impossible for you to be a part-time manager or to understand the long-term intricacies of this industry.

Our international & local connections coupled with our personal attention allows us to lease properties faster than the larger franchise companies. As a previous owner of a Century 21 franchise, Mark understands the dynamics of larger companies & has chosen to operate as an independent company to ensure cooperation with ALL franchises locally & abroad. Why only work with (for example) Remax® when you can have a Broker who will work with them all!? Mark’s secret to success is really no secret at all -he just outworks the competition by providing extra services and often doing them after hours, even after 99% of other company managers have “punched” the time clock. Which brings us to the next point.

If you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid! We never collect fees if you aren’t collecting rent. Our motivation to make a living is your protection. Many companies charge a vacancy fee. They get paid even if your home is vacant. If your rental is vacant, we suffer just as you do.

Please note, there are several other services that we offer that are not mentioned in this brief document –some that are confidential and considered trade secrets. Should you decide to enlist our services, we will review those in detail with you.

We perform 2 full inspections (interior and exterior with photos)plus 2 more visual inspections (interior but without photos) annually – so 1 almost every quarter. Most companies say they inspect their homes, but that typically only occurs when the Tenant moves out of the home. Isn’t it too late by then?

Lack of inspections is one of the biggest complaints we hear when Clients hire us–they say the manager neglected to keep an eye on the property and the Tenant took advantage of that. Tenants will move in dogs and unapproved occupants if they know the manager is never going to inspect. We inspect within the first 100 days of occupancy and then approximately every 90 days thereafter. We want to know quickly how the Tenants are caring for your home.We hold them accountable and in most cases,we can keep the Tenants in “check” by simply letting them know we are monitoring things.

If we discover major issues, our staff (or attorney if necessary) will also immediately send out 7 Day Cure Letters; which requires that the Tenant take necessary measures to correct whatever violation has occurred. If they don’t, we will order such correction and send them the bill OR if the violation is serious enough, we will immediately initiate the eviction process. Again, because we explain to all our Tenants what our expectations are up front when they sign the lease, we rarely have this type of situation occur.

We also have a Maintenance Department, Inspection Department, and Repair Contractors all working for you. Our Maintenance Manager will work directly with our Contractors to ensure that optimal service is achieved. Our contractors are required to work hard, timely, and effectively protect your property’s integrity. While we cannot guarantee their service, we try to only hire contractors that do offer labor and product guarantees, thus avoiding double payments for work performed. Bottom line, we want to SAVE you money on repairs and increase your bottom line – this makes you happy which equals job stability for us!

We take extensive pictures before & after, to document condition. From the walls, floors, and appliances to the exterior and yard, we want to show the condition of the home prior to the Tenant’s move-in and then after they vacate. This way, when they vacate, if they attempt to dispute our reasons for collection of deposits, we can quickly show that certain damage was not present upon their move-in. It should leave virtually no margin for error.

It may sound like a broken record, but when the Tenants understand this up front, they are likely to understand that they have to take care of the home and if they don’t, they aren’t going to be able to win in court. To date, we have never lost a deposit dispute!

No one will advertise like we will –period! We utilize every possible method available and are constantly looking for innovative approaches to getting the word out. Our marketing team will work hard to cover every advertising medium, such as:

• Internet: We utilize approximately 20+ websites including Zillow.com, Facebook, Trulia.com, PensacolaMLS.com, MarkDowneyHomes.com, and of course, Realtor.com. With the explosion of social media and major websites, no longer is it necessary to consider a company based solely on a franchise name.

• MLS: Would you believe some managers do not even use this? They just install a sign, list on their own website, and pray someone drives by!

• Navy/Military: We have connections in the military and we have on staff military spouses and agents, which certainly helps that much more.We work hard to procure their business whenever possible. WE LOVE TO SERVE THE MILITARY!

• Billboard advertising: Advertising of our company as a whole brings in business as people typically want to use a reputable, well-known management company

• Facebook: Innovative property managers are utilizing this as it opens up other avenues of marketing unlike any other! Whereas most fail at this due to the fact that they don’t have anyone to maintain this, we will ensure your listing is accessible via Facebook.

• Word of mouth: We are constantly meeting with people and always take the opportunity to mention our properties. Several of our staff members have lived in Pensacola for 40+ years so we definitely have local connections to network with as well.

Marketing is very important and we realize that. We have the funds and means necessary to ensure that your home is marketed effectively. The fact is, when your home is vacant, you are losing 1/30thof that rent amount every single day. Don’t hire a company that may not have the ability or time to market or monitor the marketing on a bi-weekly basis like we will. If something isn’t working, we will discuss it with you and attempt to resolve issues immediately.

• B.A. from the University of West Florida in Pre-Law (Legal Admin)

• Licensed Realtor since 1997 and Licensed Broker since 2004, practicing in Florida and Alabama

• Top 1% of all Agents in North America

• Voted BEST OF THE BAY by the public 8years in a row; several of those years, he was voted Best of the Bay in several categories -Property Management, REALTOR® and best Real Estate Company. Mark’s efforts are unparalleled and people recognize it!

• Mark has personally owned & managed rental property for 20+ years so he understands and empathizes with his owners. He is constantly coming up with new ways to protect your bottom line!

• Mark has NEVER lost a client due to poor management services. Sometimes there can be differences of opinions, but our services as a company are unmistakable in quality!