8 Questions to Ask When You Interview a Property Manager

Apr 10, 2026 | Rental Owners

Finding the right property manager is one of the most important decisions you will make as a rental owner. The challenge is that what’s “right” for one person may not be right for another. Asking the right questions is key to understanding whether the property manager, their processes, and their approach align with your expectations.

Most property managers will tell you they handle leasing, maintenance, and communication. They’ll probably all say a lot of the same things.

We focus on marketing to lower your vacancy time.

We’re responsive to owners and renters.

We’ll treat your rental like it’s our own.

It’s all fluff. Unless they have the data to back it up.

Is the marketing actually leading to lower vacancy? What are the expectations around responsiveness? If you call on a weekend, will you hear back the same day or two weeks later? Do they personally own rentals? If not, how can they treat it like their own?

Here are 8 questions you should be asking to help uncover the actual experience you can expect when working with them.

1. Can you give me an overview of the market today?

Do they have an answer? Does their response target your specific property type, or is it general across multi-family, single-family, Section 8, and commercial?

2. How did you arrive at a rent price for my home?

They’ll probably have some kind of printout with comparables. Follow up by asking which comparable they think is closest to your home and why. What comps aren’t applicable?

If they’re using automated software, chances are only a couple of the 10 or so listed comps are actually relevant based on age, location, size, finishes, and condition.

Pricing is one of the most important levers when it comes to your return. Overpricing can lead to extended vacancy and cost you thousands in unrealized rent in just a few weeks. Underprice it, and you’re leaving money on the table. A thoughtful explanation here tells you a lot about their approach.

3. How many homes do you manage like mine?

Not all rentals operate the same way. A home in Meridian built two years ago is very different from a multi-family complex from the 60s. Get a sense of their portfolio make-up.

You want to know they regularly work with homes similar in location, price range, and condition. This gives them better insight into tenant expectations, pricing strategy, and maintenance needs.

4. What is your average days on market and how does it compare to the overall market?

You’ll want them to be beating the overall market for your property type.

From here, ask two follow up questions:

How will my property be marketed?

Can you pull up a link to an available rental so I can see how it’s marketed?

You’ll want them to do this on the spot, not cherry pick the one or two “luxury” rentals. You want to see how they treat rentals like yours. This gives you insight into whether their listing quality is driving lower days on market, or if they’re simply underpricing.

** Pro tip- have them pull up Zillow and see if it has a blue checkmark that says “Total monthly price”. If not, they may have additional hidden fees not listed. Ask about these as it impacts your bottom line.

5. When someone inquires on Zillow, who responds? Who shows it?

You want to understand if it’s automated or if a real person is communicating with potential tenants.

Ask who actually shows the home. Is it a team member or do they use self showings? If it’s in person, you want to understand the showing schedule (business hours only, weekends, etc.) If it’s self guided, renters are accessing the home without anyone present? You need to decide what you think is best for your property.

6. Can you send me a sample move in condition report? THIS. IS. CRITICAL.

This document helps protect your investment.

A thorough report with detailed photos and written notes helps avoid disputes later. Ours are typically 70 to 150 pages.

We regularly see owners paying thousands in repairs because no documentation was collected from whoever was previously managing their home, whether self-managed or professionally managed.

One thing to consider: the difference between an 8% and 9% management fee is often around $25 per month. Without proper documentation, that can easily turn into $1,000 to $10,000 in repairs you cannot recover.

7. Tell me about the maintenance process.

Ask how requests are received, how they’re evaluated, and when vendors are involved. Do they markup maintenance or receive any kind of incentive from vendors?

* Also ask about required or optional tenant fees. Do they require a resident benefits package, specific insurance, or other charges that do not go to you?

They should also explain approval thresholds and how decisions are made. Clear answers help you understand whether they are proactive or reactive.

8. When are you available and how do we contact you? What happens after hours?

One of the most common frustrations we hear is poor communication.

Think about how responsive they’ve been during the sales process. This is when they’re trying the hardest to impress you. If there are gaps now, it’s usually a preview of what’s to come. Moreover, you’re the one paying them. If communication with you is poor, imagine the frustration a renter feels when trying to get answers to questions or submit maintenance requests.

IN CONCLUSION

Choosing a property manager is not just about price or convenience. It’s about how they operate day to day and whether that aligns with how you want your property managed.

Most companies will say the right things. What matters is how they actually execute. How they price a rental, how they market it, how they communicate, and how they handle maintenance will have a direct impact on your return and your experience as an owner.

The goal here isn’t to find a “perfect” property manager. It’s to find one whose approach makes sense to you and holds up when you ask deeper questions.

Taking the time to ask these questions upfront can help you avoid problems later, set clear expectations, and create a more consistent and predictable experience with your rental.