Tag: Property Management

Spring Cleanup and Maintenance for Commercial Properties

The snow is melting rapidly and potholes are cropping up across the metro area—it’s early spring in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It may not quite be time to put up the ice melt and gas up the lawn mower, but it is time to put together your spring-cleaning checklist. Commercial properties require seasonal maintenance just like homes do. Here are five of the items Clarity Commercial will be taking care of for our clients in the next 60 days.

1. Patching Up Parking Lot Potholes

The snow is on the way out and leaving massive potholes in its wake. It seems like new craters appear every hour. For commercial property managers, March is the season of cold-patch asphalt and power sweepers. While your parking lot snow mountain may persist through May, March is when you need to fill potholes and sweep your parking lot to remove salt and sand. We partner with reputable asphalt and paving companies to keep our clients’ parking lots clear and safe.

2. Inspecting Roofs for Damage

Several roof collapses made the news this February after nearly 40 inches fell across the state. All that snow strains the integrity of commercial roofs. If you were lucky enough to avoid a cave-in, it still pays to have your roof inspected now that the snow’s melted. Clarity Commercial hires professional commercial roofing companies to perform roof inspections at the properties we manage. If we uncover damage, we work with our clients to have it repaired to keep tenants safe.

3. Cleaning Out the Gutters

Gutters on commercial buildings can become blocked with leaves and other debris over the winter. A commercial roofer can inspect your gutters while they’re looking at your roof. Or, you can hire a gutter specialist to give your gutters a thorough cleanout. We have resources for both.

4. Scheduling Window Cleaning for March

The busy season for window cleaners runs April through September. We like to stay ahead of the curve and have the windows of our properties cleaned in March after most of the snow has melted. That way, our buildings look their best while their neighbors are waiting for their spring refresh. Clean windows also let the warm spring sunlight to brighten offices and atriums.

5. Maintaining HVAC Systems

While the heat will be on in most commercial buildings for another month or so, it’s a good time to schedule your HVAC maintenance appointment to clean your ducts and get your air conditioning ready for the warmer months.

Patio weather is right around the corner. Get your commercial property ready for sunny days with a little spring cleaning. Clarity Commercial is here to help. Contact us today for help with regular commercial property maintenance.

5 qualities to look for when hiring a property management company

As a landlord, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is whether or not to hire a property management company. Some landlords want to manage their properties on their own, while others rely on a property management firm to help in a variety of ways.

Property maintenance is a big benefit, but property management companies also can help with the marketing of properties, lease renewals, collecting rent, and budget projections, among other things. So, if you are thinking about hiring a property management company, make sure that you hire one with a solid reputation, impeccable track record and one you can trust.

Here are 5 qualities to look for when hiring a property management company:

1. Experience – This goes without saying. You want a property management company that has either been around for a while, or if it’s relatively new, is run by people who have been in the industry for several years and understand the ins and outs of commercial property management. Be sure to ask for references and talk to some of the employees to really get a feel for the company.

2. Tenant relations – Obviously, for a property to survive, a landlord needs tenants. One of the many critical tasks of any property management firm is how they go about getting and retaining tenants. Do they have a plan to maintain relations with the tenants throughout the life of their lease, and what efforts do they make to keep the tenants upon the expiration of the lease? These are important questions to ask.

3. Tenant procedures – Just as important as tenant relations is the processes and procedures the property management company has established in dealing with tenants on a day-to-day basis. Do they have a move-in/move-out procedure as well as a process for after-hours maintenance? These policies are critical for running a tight ship in a professional manner.

4. Maintenance – Speaking of maintenance, you want your property management company to have maintenance resources available for the tenants as soon as they may need one. The maintenance workers should be clean-cut and professional, as they oftentimes are the face of the property, and they should all follow the same procedure – including record-keeping – when responding to a maintenance call.

5. Financial reporting – Understanding the financials of your property or properties is critical. Will the property management company provide you with monthly reports, and if so, what will those reports cover? Can the reports be set up in different systems for accounting purposes? Will the property management company help with budget projections and payment of operating expenses?

Clarity Commercial is an experienced and professional property management company based in the Twin Cities. We manage a wide-range of commercial properties including multi-story office buildings, warehouse facilities, retail spaces and industrial properties, and we offer a variety of services to our clients.

From marketing and maintenance to lease negotiations and renewals, budget projections, site inspections, financial reporting, security system management and so much more, we work hard on behalf of our clients.

Contact us today to schedule some time to talk. We’d love to learn more about you and your properties, and discuss ways we can help!

5 Ways Hiring a Property Manager Can Save You Money

As a property owner, you’re in the business of increasing your property’s value while keeping your costs under control. This is true whether you own a small office building or several 50,000 square-foot warehouses. Effectively managing your portfolio of properties takes a diverse set of skills. Without the help of a property manager, you have to become an expert in marketing, leasing, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and collections, among many others.

That’s why it makes a lot of sense to invest in the expertise of a property manager. We have the training, experience, and resources to take these and other tasks off your plate. In the long run, working with a property manager can save you money and even help you make more. Here’s how.

1. A property manager maintains your budget.

How often do you sit down and look at your balance sheet? A property manager takes your budget seriously and works hard to stay within it. We help you understand how much you’ve made and spent so far and present you with budget projections for the rest of the year. We can help with your five-year and ten-year planning, too.

2. A property manager evaluates your tax burden.

When you’re busy working with tenants, you have little time to spend analyzing and evaluating your tax burden. But income, property, sales, and utility taxes add up. In some cases, they can also be negotiated. Property managers can help you keep track of your tax burden and help you find ways to reduce it.

3. A property manager handles collections.

Tenants who make late payments or fail to pay can throw off your books. Collections can take a lot of time, energy, and angst. Property managers can take collections completely off your plate and help you recover late or missing rent checks.

4. A property manager mitigates risk.

Your properties are used for all sorts of tasks that create a diverse set of risks. Your insurance policies should cover it all, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket when it’s time to make a claim. We can help you understand the different risks you face at your different properties and recommend comprehensive liability, fire, and extended coverage.

5. A property manager markets your property for you.

Okay, this one might actually make you money, not just save it. Property managers like Clarity Commercial can help you market your available properties so you can fill vacant space quickly. The fewer days your properties are vacant, the more money you’ll make.

Working with a property manager can be one of the best investments you can make. If you’re wondering what a property manager could take off of your plate, contact Clarity Commercial today