BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Pro’s Guide to Property Management: Work Less, Make More from Your Rentals!

Mar 12, 2025

Selali Kalevor, a seasoned property manager and real estate investor in Seattle, shares invaluable insights on property management. He discusses whether to hire a property manager or self-manage, highlighting essential questions to assess their effectiveness. Selali emphasizes local vs. national management firms and the significance of choosing a manager who aligns with your financial goals. He reveals the critical factor that determines a property manager's value, ensuring your rental investments thrive with less stress and more profit.

35:47

Episode guests

Selali Kalevor

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Hiring a skilled property manager can significantly boost rental income and reduce inefficiencies compared to self-management.

Building a strong relationship with a property manager enables open communication and aligns management strategies with an investor's long-term goals.

Deep dives

The Value of Hiring a Property Manager

Hiring a property manager can often provide significant financial benefits for real estate investors. While self-management might seem cost-effective, it can result in lost income due to inefficiencies, tenant turnover, and the time burden of managing properties. A professional property manager can optimize rental strategies, ensuring properties garner higher rents and maintain lower vacancy rates. Evaluating the value derived from hiring a property manager involves considering not only the costs but also the potential income increases linked to their management skills and market knowledge.

Intro

2min

From Finance to Property Management: A Unique Real Estate Journey

3min

Navigating the Landscape of Property Management

2min

Evaluating Property Management: Key Questions and Considerations

3min

Navigating Property Management and Investment Strategies

4min

Building Trust in Property Management

7min

Navigating the Balance of Property Management and Asset Maximization

5min

Navigating Property Management Challenges

8min

Understanding Property Management: Focus on the Why

2min

Property management can make or break your real estate portfolio, and most new investors don’t know where to start. Do you hire a property manager or self-manage your rental(s)? How do you know a property manager will ensure your rental is performing instead of just collecting a monthly fee? Should you use a local property management company or a national chain?

The real question: who will make YOU more money and keep your rental on track with your goals?

Want to spot an average property manager vs. one that builds your wealth? Follow Selali Kalevor’s advice. He’s not only a property manager himself but an “upside” investor as well, who knows what it takes to make not only his clients' properties perform but also his own. He shares the key questions to ask ANY property manager and must-know tips for self-managing rentals.

Plus, Dave and Selali describe the one thing that makes a property manager a massive value to rental property investors, and if your manager can’t do this, you might as well find a new one.

In This Episode We Cover:

Crucial questions to ask a property manager to see if they’re worth the fee

Hiring a local vs. national property management company (and what to check before you hire them)

The type of “manager” that will make you more money with less stress

Signs that you should (or shouldn’t) be managing your properties yourself

The #1 most important factor when hiring a property manager

And So Much More!

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