As a property manager, you’re relied on by so many people. The building owner, your current tenants, prospective tenants, and your staff.
Your job is to grow your business while being the interface between the owner and your tenants. That’s a tough gig.
And, you also have your phone that’s ringing. Now, you have to answer that too... right?
How do you not stretch yourself thin? Sure, you could hire more staff to work around the clock to answer your phone which would cost a lot. But you may be better off using a property management answering service.
We’re Ambs Call Center and we’ve been taking property managers calls all over the US for decades now. Your work as a property manager is a unique one but one of the duties you don’t have to be burdened by is answering your phones. We’ve helped many property managers take back their time and grow their business because of the model of an answering service. We want you to experience the same.
In this blog, we’re going to cover a few things so that you can be better informed to decide if a property management answering service is right for you.
A property management answering service provides a professional and reliable phone presence that is always available to serve the needs of both prospective and existing tenants.
A professional answering service can do this whenever someone feels the need to call. This establishes a strong customer service foundation on which you, as a property manager, can build your services—and your reputation.
A property management answering service works by providing a dedicated team of professionals to handle incoming calls, messages, and inquiries on behalf of property owners or managers.
These answering services are typically available 24/7 to ensure that tenants, prospective renters, and other stakeholders can reach someone at any time.
Step 1: Call handling protocol is set-up and loaded into the answering service software. A unique call forwarding telephone number is assigned to your property management company. You can use this to route calls 24/7 according to your needs.
Step 2: Calls that come into your property management office are forwarded and answered by the answering service in your name. Your scripts (questions you want asked to your callers) are used to gather information for showings, general questions, maintenance calls, and more. The information is delivered to your desired staff member according to your instructions.
Step 3: Urgent calls follow your escalation steps to ensure that your team is ready to respond to clients.
Your answering services may also be able to integrate with your property management CRM!
Streamline your processes and make your business more efficient!
Now let’s look at what its benefits are:
You already know that property managers wear many hats. Sales consultants, maintenance coordinators, collections department, or even just by being a listening ear.
But, these tasks often pile onto one another at the same time. While you’re handling one task, four others pop up, each demanding attention right away!
More tasks = lower quality of work.
A property management answering service restores this balance.
However, when you have a property management answering service to back you up, you automatically lighten your load in the following ways:
As you attend to one pressing need, your answering service can take the next call—or the next five calls—that come in.
Let them help you keep business running while you're tending to other matters. They can give out information to potential tenants, schedule showings for you, and even dispatch maintenance personnel.
Most importantly, they'll do all of the above according to your instructions. So, all of your processes are being followed while you get back to the real work as a property manager.
The maintenance issues of a property fall into two basic categories: emergency and routine:
Emergency Maintenance: Issues like no heat, no air conditioning, or a water leak.
Routine Maintenance: Issues such as a broken light fixture, a cracked window, or a non working electrical outlet. Other issues may require more consideration.
Need help determining what constitutes emergency and maintenance calls?
An experienced answering service can help you decide!
Sometimes there may be gray areas where the line between the two is not clearly defined. That's why it's so important to clearly communicate your criteria to your answering service when it comes to evaluating maintenance issues.
For example, a broken toilet in a one-bathroom apartment would be considered an emergency, while the same issue in a two-bathroom apartment might be more of an inconvenience and can usually wait until the next day for repair.
Once you've determined which maintenance issues are emergencies and which are routine, your property management answering service can consistently apply your criteria and take the appropriate action.
In the case of an emergency call, they can quickly contact your preferred maintenance provider to arrange for repairs. For routine maintenance issues, they can gather all the necessary information from your tenant and pass it on to you based on your preferences for you to address the next business day.
Not only does your answering service ensure that maintenance issues receive the right level of attention, but it also sends a strong signal to your tenants that you care about their well-being and that help is always available, regardless of the time they call.
Have you ever wondered what happens to your tenants' calls when you're not around? If you don’t have an answering service, they likely end up reaching voicemail. And statistically, only 20% of your callers actually do leave voicemails.
The other 80%? Well, as a property manager, you hope that either a) they have resolved their issue or b) will call back. Those are two big IF’s. You may not want that.
With an answering service as your reliable backup, exceptional customer service will be consistently delivered, no matter the circumstances.
Whether you're out sick or taking a well-deserved vacation, your tenants will not experience any decline in the quality of service they receive. They’re prepared to efficiently handle calls from both current and prospective tenants.
So, you can go ahead and book those vacation plans knowing that your business is in good hands with a reliable answering service.
You do most of your work during regular business hours. But is this when potential tenants tend to call? Probably not.
Even for commercial properties, space availability calls and requests for leasing information often come in outside of regular business hours. And for residential properties, these types of calls typically occur after hours, often at the most surprising of times.
When leasing and rental calls come in, there’s a good chance you won’t be in the office. That’s where your property management answering service comes in.
To start with, they can answer basic questions about your property and unit availability. Though some of this might be on your website, not all of it is—or if it is, will they bother to look or be able to find it?
Once your answering service provides this information, the prospect then knows if they want to proceed or aren’t interested. This allows you to focus on the calls that have value and not become sidetracked by those that don’t.
Apart from supporting your callers, your call support service is completely dedicated to going above and beyond in order to assist you in finalizing the sale.
One way they do is to schedule showings for you. Here they take into consideration your specific availability and preferences, so that you’re never double-booked.
But say you double booked yourself by accident or a prospective tenant lost interest, what then? Well, your answering service can also cancel showings! This ensures that you can redirect your valuable time and efforts towards more promising leads.
“How do you know what’s on my calendar?”
Great question! When you get an answering service for property management, they are able to integrate their service with your calendar! They receive real-time updates for your availability while you receive real-time updates about bookings and showings for your properties.
Acuity scheduling allows you to integrate your calendar with your answering service.
A professional call center for your property can do these four key things to assist you. This way, you can be more present in the work you do and in attending to the needs of your current tenants and prospective tenants.
If your properties are growing and you’re struggling with answering all your calls, a property management answering service may very well be for you.
Now, if you’re still not certain a property management answering service is right for you, you may want to know what the pros and cons of hiring an answering service are. Or, you may be thinking “how long does it take to get my answering service started?”.
But, if you’re already certain a this is right for you, feel free to fill out the form below now and we’ll get back to you soon about how we can help your business grow! Alternatively, you can visit our property management answering service page for more information.
Talking to renters gets easier when you know what they really want. Most people just want someone to listen and help fix their problems fast. You don't need fancy words or long explanations. Simple, clear talk works best. When your heat breaks in winter, you want to know someone cares and will send help soon. When your sink won't stop dripping, you need to know it's on the list to get fixed. Good resident care starts with picking up the phone and saying the right things. Your tone matters more than perfect scripts. People can tell when you actually want to help them versus when you're just reading from a paper.
Quick callbacks make a huge difference in how happy renters feel about where they live. Think about the last time you called somewhere for help. Did they call you back in an hour or three days later? How did each one make you feel? Renters have the same feelings about their homes. Someone who reports a broken air conditioner at lunch wants to hear back before dinner. Even if the repair happens tomorrow, that first call back shows you care. It only takes two minutes to say you got their message and when help is coming. Those two minutes can save you from losing a good tenant who might move out because they felt ignored.
After-hours help isn't just for fancy buildings anymore. Regular renters expect it too. Your tenants work late shifts, travel for work, and have emergencies at weird times. A pipe can burst at midnight just as easily as noon. Someone might smell gas at 6 AM on Sunday. These problems can't wait until Monday morning. Having real people available nights and weekends shows you take tenant safety seriously. It doesn't mean you need a full team around the clock. Even basic coverage that can take messages and call the right people makes renters feel safer. Safe renters stay longer and tell friends good things about your buildings.
Emergency calls need clear rules so your team knows what to do every time. Not every problem is a real emergency, but some definitely are. Gas leaks, electrical sparks, flooding, and security issues need help right now. Broken appliances and small leaks can usually wait until normal hours. Your team should ask the right questions to figure out which is which. Train them to stay calm and get key details fast. Where is the problem? Is anyone in danger? Has the renter tried turning anything off? These simple questions help your team decide how fast to respond and who to call for help.
Good repair request handling starts with getting all the details right the first time. Your team should know what questions to ask so the repair person shows up ready. What room has the problem? When did it start? Is water or electricity involved? Has anything been tried already? Getting this info upfront saves everyone time and prevents return trips. Renters also want to know what happens next. Tell them when someone will come look at it and roughly how long repairs might take. A quick text or call with updates keeps them happy even if fixing things takes longer than expected.
Leasing calls are gold mines that many buildings waste with slow responses. Every person who calls about renting is already interested in living there. They picked up the phone instead of just driving by. That puts them way ahead of random website visitors. Your first conversation with them decides if they want to see the place or keep looking somewhere else. Be friendly and excited to help them. Ask about their timeline, what they're looking for, and any concerns they have. Get their contact info and follow up the same day. Quick responses to leasing questions often mean the difference between filling units fast and having them sit empty for months.
Fair housing rules protect everyone and keep your buildings out of legal trouble. The law says you must treat all renters the same way regardless of race, religion, family status, disability, and other protected groups. This means using the same friendly tone with everyone. Give the same helpful information to all callers. Follow the same procedures whether someone sounds young or old, has an accent or doesn't. Write down what you told each person in case questions come up later. Train your team regularly on these rules because they change sometimes. Getting this wrong can cost you thousands in fines and legal fees. Getting it right is just good business that makes all renters feel welcome.
Missed calls hurt your bottom line more than you might think. Each call nobody picks up could be a renter with a problem getting worse or a prospect calling your competitor next. Renters who can't reach you start thinking about moving somewhere with better communication. Prospects who get voicemail boxes move on to the next building on their list. Every missed call is a missed chance to keep good tenants happy or attract new ones. Track how many calls you miss each week. You might be surprised by the number. Even small buildings can miss 20 or 30 calls per week during busy times. Those add up to real money lost over time.
Setting response time goals gives your team clear targets and helps renters know what to expect. Emergency calls should get immediate attention. Urgent repairs might need responses within four hours. Routine questions could have a 24-hour goal. The key is picking times you can actually hit and telling renters what those times are. Put your response promises on your website and in welcome packets. When you beat your own timeline by calling back faster than promised, renters notice and appreciate it. Missing your stated goals damages trust and makes people think you don't care about good communication. Better to promise less and deliver more than the other way around.
Connecting your phone systems with computer programs makes everyone's job easier and prevents mistakes. When someone calls about a broken dishwasher, that info should go straight into your work order system without anyone typing it twice. This connection means repair teams get complete details before they show up. It also lets you track how long repairs take from start to finish. Integration with leasing software helps you follow up with prospects automatically and measure which marketing brings in the most calls. These computer connections save time on paperwork and give you better data about what's working well and what needs improvement.
Checking call quality and measuring results helps you keep getting better at resident communication. Record some calls each month and listen to how your team handles different situations. Are they friendly? Do they get the right information? Do they explain next steps clearly? Regular quality checks help you spot training opportunities before small problems become big ones. Track important numbers like how fast you answer calls, how many problems get solved on first contact, and how happy renters are with your communication. Monthly reports show trends that help you make smart decisions about staffing, training, and system improvements.
Better communication pays for itself through happier residents, faster rentals, and fewer expensive problems. Satisfied renters write good online reviews that attract more prospects. They also renew leases more often, saving you thousands in turnover costs per unit. Fast responses to maintenance requests prevent small issues from becoming major repairs. Good leasing communication helps you fill empty units faster and sometimes at higher rents. Buildings known for excellent resident care often charge premium prices and maintain waiting lists of people wanting to live there. These benefits add up over time, making communication improvements one of the smartest investments any building owner can make. The upfront costs seem big until you calculate how much money good communication actually saves and earns.