A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Use facts only when screening Tenants
One of the most difficult things that a Landlord or Property
Manager does is screening for new Tenants. Not only is the process time
consuming, but is by no means full proof. The most important thing though, is to make
sure you follow the rules and have a specific plan when screening all Tenants
and treat everyone the same.
Never Judge a Book By it's Cover
Just like all things, you should never judge a
book by its cover and you should never make a decision on Tenants by how they
appear. In any business I have been in, I find that it is impossible to know
anyone by how they appear and in the business of renting properties, the law is
very clear. DO NOT DISCRIMINATE. If you think about your life and the people you meet on a daily basis, how many times have you looked at someone and thought one thing and then found out the complete opposite was true when you found out the truth.
I learned this lessen when I owned a Delicatessen many years ago. I cant tell you how many times the people who spent the most money and bought the most groceries, did not appear as though that was going to be the case. I remember one man who came in and walked around for a while and I actually was wondering if he was going to cause me some problems. He was dressed modestly and he acted as though he was troubled. But before he left, he spent a lot of money and every time he came in after that, I handled him personally and greeted him with a pastry that he liked so much. This lessen I learned has helped me understand that judging a book by it's cover can be a huge mistake in business.
Stick to the facts
In my business of Property Management, I
know that most people do not want to discriminate or think they are discriminating
against anyone, but sometimes it is hard to keep personal biases out of
decision making. But in this business you must and most of the time you will
find that you will be more successful at renting out your property if you stick
to the facts and the facts only.
I am a big proponent of meeting and talking to applicants personally, but that is not to make a final decision on renting. I meet with them, so I can not only try and understand who they are, but more importantly, make sure they understand me and what I expect from them if they do become Tenants. My decisions are always based on the facts that I get when I go through my screening process. I have had situations happen when I meet with the applicant and think that they will be perfect and then find out once I go through the process that they will not be a good fit.
Put those blinders on
Next time you are looking at the information you get during a screening process, Play a game with yourself and pretend that you have blinders on and can't see who is applying, you can only use the information you have.
Your mind will take in the information and create a picture for you to see and make the decision based on that information. Once you make the decision, take those blinders off and see how close your mind creation is to the reality of the applicant. Often you will find that the picture your mind created has no resembled to the applicants themselves, but the facts don't change, no matter what the cover of the book looks like.
This type of experiment can help all of us understand not only in business, but in are personal life that judging a book by it's cover can be a big mistake and stop us from meeting and doing business with many people who would be assets to our lives and business.
Getting back to the man in the deli. I don't remember his name, but I do remember the lessen he taught me and without him even knowing it, he helped me understand the importance of putting those blinders on and looking at the contents, not the cover of the book.
A.D. Cantelmo Property Management Specializes in Property
Management in Orange County Ca.