Corporate Property Management

The last 2 years I have worked with a large corporation that does trailer parks all throughout the country. There is usually one community manager per a certain amount of parks. I had 3 parks with a total of 230 residents. After 2 years and 3 months I have decided to resign from the position and move on to greener pastures.

What I learned: Managers do a lot of work and are the backbone of the corporation (kind of like a mom to a household). There are so many things to maintain with a joyful face while dealing with residents. You have to collect rent for the corporation while helping residents if they have issues financially, with other residents, in there home/outside the home. You are in charge scheduling work needed via plumbing, tree trimming, electric and the like. They also have to manage the maintenance employee to regularly do what ever is requested of them. What I learned is managers are the worst paid and expected from the most. In this particular company maintenance could come and go and had very few responsibilities and was not micromanaged. However the manager had to jump through hoops regularly and adjust to changes all the time.

What I liked: I am self directed, so I liked working in the office and not having someone directly here with me. If you give me a list of things to accomplish and I know how to do them I am self sufficient to complete the task! I totally enjoy learning new skills, so working with there systems for bill paying and tenant rent collections (Rent Manager) was very interesting. Also learning the court process with evictions, Notice to Cease and Notice to Quit and dealing with attorney. I enjoyed the residents, helping them where I was able and having small talk.

What I didn't like: I definitely did not like all the changes. It wasn't just changes of a growing corporation to get better. The have tons of turnover, so there are changes of power regularly. Which means you have to adjust to how someone new wants things done. I found that to be ridiculous and not something I would withstand. I had great relationships with the tenants and companies who did regular work in the parks. If someone had a hardship I could avoid fees for late rent and the like but under new power they would not allow that.

Honestly I don't like how this particular corporation says there fees are always going up and increasing the rent $50 per month each year per resident. They do this because they are constantly refinancing parks to buy new parks so it will never stop. They put the squeeze on people because they want to extract the most from the park. In reality they are pricing people out because mobile homes were supposed to be cheaper living. I realize a corporation is always supposed to be cutting cost and managing what is coming in. I guess I learned I don't like this model. I believe you can have a great corporation that doesn't do the things this one does.

Moving Forward: I came here to learn and I did that! I am a licensed REALTOR in New Jersey and I do property management on the side. When I have my own corporation, I have learned what not to do! Turn over means your employees are not happy. I would want happy loyal employees who want to make a difference for the organization. I would want all there voices heard. So I will take the things I have learned and keep them until I need to use them in the future!