What Value Added Benefit Sets Me Apart from My Competition?

Debbie Reynolds challenged us this month with a really interesting contest: What Sets You Apart: Your Value Added Benefit? An ActiveRain Contest 

The main thing that sets me apart from my competition is the attention I pay to detail.  This attention to detail is most evident in the in move in and move out inspections that  I perform on all of the properties I manage. 

When I have a tenant move in, I take tons of pictures. I take pictures of every door, every switch plate, every baseboard and every wall. I take pictures of closets with the doors opened and closed, the same with cabinets, and bathroom vanities. I open kitchen drawers and snap a photo, and then do the same with the drawers closed. 

I do the same exact thing again, when they leave.  If there was something damaged when they moved it, I have it documented, if it wasn’t damaged and it is now, I can prove it and the tenant will pay for it.  I go above and beyond what might be considered a “usual” walk through.  My move in and move outs, take several hours and I do not accept phone calls or texts while doing one. I do them room by room and cannot be interrupted for any reason. An interruption might mean missing something really important.

If I have a tenant that disputes an item that was deducted from their deposit, I show them the photos, and it doesn’t go any further than that.  I haven’t had anyone take any of my owners to court over a security deposit claim, ever and I doubt I ever will, with the through documentation that I do.  

I work for the owners, but my documentation can actually protect the tenant as well, is they are being accused of doing something that was preexisting, I can pull up the photos and remind the owner that it was like that when they moved in. This came in handy about six months ago when I had an owner that wanted to charge the tenants for things they didn’t deserve to be charged for.  In this case the owner wasn’t very pleased with my thoroughness, or for that matter my propensity to follow the law.  I no longer work for that owner.