What
is it, exactly, that you get for the commissions you pay? A fair
question…..
Marketing
and Promotion
We will market your property fully. This includes taking digital
photographs of every room in your home (with the exception of
bathrooms) and posting a full page listing with detailed description
and photos on our #1 rated website at www.realescapesproperties.com.
Our website is arranged to be as user friendly as possible, featuring
several different methods to search for vacation properties. Your
home will be advertised on all appropriate pages, i.e. pet-friendly,
pool access, etc.
We
receive many calls daily on our toll-free telephone number and
will describe and promote your property to all appropriate potential
guests. We believe that part of our job as Property Managers is
to act as Ambassadors for St. Simons Island. For many folks investigating
this area for either vacation or relocation purposes, we are the
first point of contact and much of what we say will be instrumental
in forming others’ opinions of St. Simons Island. Our attitudes
and demeanor always reflect our commitment to our profession and
our homeowners and our love for this Island.
Our
print advertising includes several St. Simons Island guides and
publications. These include the High Tides Guide, the Brunswick
News and the St. Simons Island Telephone Directory. We also periodically
send out postcard mailings to our large and growing database.
Housekeeping
As part of our management services, we will arrange to have your
home thoroughly cleaned (including bed linen changes) after each
departing tenant. Our housekeeping staff of subcontractors has
been with us for many years and provides excellent services at
reasonable rates. Housekeeping charges are an additional fee to
owners. We do not “mark up” this service; we charge
our owners what our housekeepers charge us, plus a nominal supplies
fee, which covers the toilet tissue and bath soap provided to
each tenant.
In addition to standard housekeeping services, our housekeepers
also regularly check for light bulbs that have burned out, batteries
that have gone dead, bad vacuum cleaner belts, air filters that
need to be changed and appliances that may be malfunctioning.
We believe that all of our guests deserve to walk into clean,
fresh units with everything functioning as it should be. This
presents all of us in the best possible light and encourages repeat
guests. Making sure this happens is part of our job as your property
manager.
We
recommend a thorough deep cleaning once per year. We try to schedule
this in the fall so your home will be ready for its long-term
winter guests. Our housekeeping staff is happy to provide this
service.
Maintenance
Unfortunately, the best laid plans do, occasionally, go astray.
When that happens in your property, our maintenance staff will
be there to put everything back on track. Our proven and reliable
maintenance staff boasts years of experience and an excellent
track record with us.
We
understand that everyone’s budgeting is a little different,
so we pre-arrange a dollar figure that we do not exceed without
authorization in making repairs to your property.
Maintenance
fees are an additional expense not covered by the standard commission.
Accounting
All of our property owners receive detailed monthly income statements
and checks, where applicable. These statements break down all
income and expenses from each tenancy. Owners also receive an
annual 1099 form with your year-to-date income/expense statement
to facilitate tax preparation. We are currently working on a procedure
that will allow us to offer direct deposit for rental proceeds
checks to our owners.
