As the owner of a mobile home park, you know managing your mobile home park (MHP) well is a challenge. From dealing with maintenance problems to successfully handling resident complaints, there's a lot that goes into keeping your park running smoothly.

The wrong property manager (or one who isn't trained properly) can lead to all kinds of headaches, including lease violations, delinquent rent payments, increasing vacancy rates, and negative online reviews. On the other hand, a good property manager with the right training will improve your quality of life while helping you improve the performance of your park.

A good property manager (who knows what to do and when to do it) is proactive and deals with issues long before they become major problems for residents in your mobile home park. They work to keep everyone happy by enforcing lease terms, diffusing issues, and ensuring that everyone in your community is following the rules. Because they represent your interests, having the right property manager can make all the difference in how successful your mobile home park is - so let's see what it takes to find one...

Hire For Traits. Train For Skills

One of the mantras that we live by is, 'Hire for traits. Train for skills.'

Instilling traits in people is a much more difficult challenge than training skills. Traits such as being proactive, having the critical-thinking skills required to solve problems, being personable, being honest, and being respectful of time are deeply rooted and develop over time depending on a person's upbringing and environment. It can be difficult to develop these qualities.

On the other hand, skills like how to screen potential tenants, how to convert prospective tenants into residents, and how to deal with maintenance requests can be taught relatively quickly, especially using Mobile Home Park Classroom, which is an A-Z training platform for your current and future property managers...

In fact, that's one of the reasons why we developed all of the property management training programs, templates, and role-play videos - we found that if you hire for traits, you can just plug your new property manager into Mobile Home Park Classroom, give them a few details about your specific park, and they can hit the ground running. You can see what's included in the property manager training program here.

What To Look For In A Mobile Home Park Property Manager

Now that we know to hire for traits and to train for skills, which traits should you look for? Here are some of the top traits to look for:

Proactive

Being a proactive property manager is essential to maintain a successful mobile home park (MHP) or to improve a park that's suffering from deferred maintenance, lack of lease enforcement, or unresolved issues.

By being proactive, your property manager can head off potential problems before they have a chance to do real damage. This includes dealing with maintenance issues, resolving complaints, and ensuring that everyone is following the rules.

The best way to solve a problem is to deal with it before it becomes a real problem.

Assertiveness & Emotional Intelligence

You're not looking for someone who is argumentative (or who likes to pick a fight). By the same token, you're not looking for someone afraid to speak up when someone is breaking the rules or causing issues. You're looking for someone in the middle - a property manager capable of speaking up when there is an issue but also capable of de-escalating conflict. Think assertiveness mixed with a strong dose of emotional intelligence and an ability to be the voice of reason.

When you add those traits and the training we provide inside of the Property Manager's Edition of Mobile Home Park Classroom on how to deal with bad tenants and how to deal with frustrated residents, you end up with a winning combination.

Naturally, if verbal conflicts are at risk of turning into altercations, it's time for your property manager to step back and to bring in local law enforcement. Safety first.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

The ability to think critically and to solve problems are essential for effective property management. If there is one thing that your property manager is going to run into regularly, it's problems.

Good critical thinking can help a property manager identify potential issues, develop solutions, and handle challenging situations. It also helps them to make decisions quickly and efficiently while minimizing the risk of costly mistakes.

Problem-solving can be taught, but ideally, you'll want to find a property manager who proactively looks for potential issues before they become costly problems.

These skills can increase tenant satisfaction, ensure proper maintenance of your property, and ultimately maximize profit. In short, critical thinking and problem-solving are key components in successful property management.

Empathy, Active Listening, Patience & Positivity

Put all of these traits together and you'll likely find yourself in a conversation with someone who has great communication skills (and usually, solid selling skills as well).

Your property manager should be able to communicate effectively to maintain positive relationships with everyone in the park, including vendors, and owners.

A lot of the issues that your residents have can be resolved with a mixture of active listening and problem-solving skills. Active listening shows you care. Problem-solving shows you're willing to do what's required to get the job done.

Respectful

Life is too short to have to deal with a disrespectful property manager. People have all kinds of reasons for being disrespectful ranging from feeling wronged to having a chip on their shoulder. While we hope they work through their issues, you don't need to.

Property managers who respect you, the residents, the vendors, and your time are a valuable asset to any mobile home park. They make sure communications are timely and clear so that everyone knows what is happening and when it is happening. This prevents confusion and frustration and keeps the park running smoothly.

Honest And Transparent

One of the biggest problems with dishonest mobile home park managers is that they can cause a lot of damage very quickly. They may not take care of the property properly, which can lead to decreased safety and security for residents. They may also try to scam residents out of money or not provide the services they promised. This can create a lot of bad blood and can attract negative press.

When it comes to honesty and transparency, it pays to do your due diligence and to trust your gut instincts.

The Benefits Of Having A Good Property Manager

By now, you may have the sense that finding the right property manager might mean filtering through more than just a few candidates. Here's why it's worth it...

They Make Your Job Easier

One of the benefits of having a good property manager is that they make your job easier. They take care of all the day-to-day operations, so you don't have to. They identify and solve potential problems and solve actual problems if they occur. This leaves you with more time to focus on other important tasks, such as growing your portfolio or spending time doing what you love.

Residents Are More Likely To Enjoy & Care For Your Park

When mobile home park residents have a good property manager, they are more likely to be happy with their living situation. This is because the manager is proactively dealing with any potential problems, doing what's required to build an attractive community, and dealing with any issues the residents may have. They are also respectful of everyone's time and are honest and transparent. This creates a positive and harmonious environment for everyone in the park.

Overall, having a good property manager is a huge asset to any mobile home park. They make your job easier, keep residents happy, and attract businesses. If you don't have a property manager, consider hiring one today!

There Are Fewer Problems Overall When Everyone Is Following The Rules

Equal enforcement increases the odds that everyone will follow the rules. When everyone is following the rules, there are fewer problems overall. This is because everyone knows what is expected of them and knows the consequences of not following the rules. By having a property manager who is respectful of everyone's time, honest and transparent, and proactive in dealing with issues, the park will run more smoothly.

How To Find The Right Property Manager For Your Mobile Home Park

• Advertise
• Always be on the lookout for people with the right mixture of character traits
• Ask for recommendations from other mobile home park owners
• Meet with potential candidates and ask them questions designed to reveal character traits (especially during times of stress).
• Make sure candidates are on the same page when it comes to your expectations

If you need help finding the right property manager for your park, you'll love Module 14 of Mobile Home Park Classroom where we go in-depth and show you how to find and hire a superstar property manager.

How To Train Your Property Manager

Once you've hired a property manager with the right traits, you'll want to make sure your manager has the capability to do the job well. Capability leads to confidence. Confidence increases retention and performance.

We designed Mobile Home Park Classroom to be a complete A-Z training program for property managers. As an owner, all you have to do is purchase the Owner's Edition of Mobile Home Park Classroom, which comes with unlimited editions of the Property Management program for your current and future property managers. Then, fill your property manager in on the specifics of your property and let them go through the trainings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, finding and hiring a competent MHP property manager is instrumental for the effective functioning of any mobile home park. A property manager who exhibits traits such as empathy, active listening, respectfulness, honesty, and transparency is worth the search and the investment in property training...

The right property manager not only makes your job easier but also elevates the living experience of the residents. This can result in fewer overall issues, provided all rules are strictly enforced. To find the appropriate manager, consider advertising, seeking recommendations, conducting insightful interviews, and ensuring alignment with your expectations. Once hired, comprehensive manufactured housing community management training is key to boosting their capability and confidence which in turn ensures better performance.

With the right property manager by your side, you'll be one step closer to having a successful mobile home park that lets you sleep easy at night.