Extraordinary Property Management Services
Whether you are looking for a full-time Property Management company or a Property Management Consultant, you will find that Lightner Property Group offers exceptional qualities:
Professional – Our cofounders are licensed attorneys who have operated commercial and residential income properties in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1984.
Systems Oriented– We leverage the use of technology and checklist-protocols to maintain proficiency and consistency. Lightner Property Group’s comprehensive background check protocol was recently featured in Lowe’s for Pros and the company was also highlighted in Fortune Small Business for its use of DocuSign, a cutting-edge electronic signature service.
Seasoned – Ours is a deep well of experience. Because we have owned office and apartment buildings for a quarter century, we know how to protect clients’ interests. We have been industry leaders at the local and state level. Having served on the front line at the Rent Board we know how to operate effectively in a highly regulated marketplace.
Responsive – Our clients, investors and tenants all get prompt and personal attention.
The Benefits of Professional Expertise and Hands-on Experience
LPG’s principals, Bill Lightner and Merrie Turner Lightner, are licensed attorneys with 25 years of hands-on income property management experience who also own office and apartment buildings. Our Operations Chief, Art Swanson has been on the job for over twenty years. As a consequence, property management at LPG is about a lot more than keeping track of people, property and money. Our systems also:
- Provide consistency and equal treatment of tenants
- Preserve legal rights (important on both offense and defense)
- Prepare properties for the scrutiny of investors, financiers and potential buyers
- Ease the processing of insurance claims
- Are essential in a rent-controlled jurisdiction
As a consequence, our property management clients get huge value-adding benefits not obtained from ordinary firms. And we have happy tenants.
Tech-Savvy Property Management Team
From the beginning, Lightner Property Group has been dedicated to using technology to streamline activities and provide convenience to its clients, residents and tenants. Lightner believes technologies provide clients with the premier property management experience.
Evolved Apartment Marketing through Web 2.0, Social Media and Online Marketing Services
Lightner Property Group understands that the Bay Area residents are tech-savvy, so Lightner Property Group employs cutting edge technologies to reach potential new residents by delivering content the way they want it and to lease units faster.
We believe no other management company in San Francisco can equal our sophisticated apartment advertising and marketing efforts and protocols.
- Social Media & Web 2.0 Tools: Lightner Property Group uses social media and Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogging platform, Wordpressto reach and engage potential new residents. Using social media and Web 2.0 tools allows Lightner Property Group to understand potential new residents apartment needs and provide highly targeted ads to them.
- Online Marketing: In addition to Craigslist, LPG also uses other online marketing services to raise awareness of apartments for rent such as advertising aggregator, Postlets. Lightner Property Group consistently researches new online marketing services to remain cutting edge. Additionally, Lightner Property Group’s in-house social media and marketing manager manages the Google Adwords campaign to ensure traffic is continually reaching owner’s apartment listings.
Learn more about how Lightner Property Group Markets and Rents Units.
24/7 Secure Access to Personalized Account Information through Central Desktop
Central Desktop is a Web-based service that allows each Lightner Property Group client to have its own secure, private and personalized site that is accessible 24/7. Owners have always-on, secure access to all of their information including financial reports. Through Central Desktop, owners can also view historical trends in order to properly plan for future needs such as building improvements.
In addition, Central Desktop allows Lightner Property Group:
- Notices-To-Vacate: Notices to vacate can be done online. Once the notice is entered, it triggers a sequence of automated events and notifies responsible parties of their role in the process.
- Reports: Clients can view reports and real time bank account information.
- Building Inspections: Resident managers input their daily inspections.
- Advertising Rentals: Resident managers and in-house staff post ads and track progress at the touch of a button.
- Emergency Call Tracking: Each responder enters detailed data of event and resolution.
- Fix-It: Fix-It requests are not only requested via auto-responder emails, but are tracked through the Central portal.
Superior Accounting Systems through Yardi
Yardi is the leading provider of high-performance property management software solutions for the real estate industry. It is a full double-entry accounting program with audit trail and user-level security features. Key tasks that we use Yardi for include:
- Rent Roll maintenance
- Bank reconciliation
- Bill paying
- Tenant ledgers
- Owner and investor holdings
- Income statement
- Cash flow statement
Convenient Lease Signings through DocuSign
DocuSign is a Web-based service that allows tenants to sign documents online from the comfort of their home or office. Examples of documents that we have people sign includes:
- Leases
- Mitigation Contracts
- Settlement Agreements
Superior Resident Manager Training Program
LPG promotes an environment that allows resident managers to feel empowered. Art Swanson oversees the activities of a number of on-site resident managers who are responsible for leasing, routine maintenance and repair coordination, and rent collections in their buildings (some also handle the physical minor repairs and maintenance).
All resident managers are required, or encouraged, to complete all or some of the following:
- CCRM training,
- Fair housing training,
- Sexual harassment training,
- Environmental hazards course work,
- the NERT program,
- as well as other continuation education programs.
Additionally, Art Swanson conducts monthly in-house training seminars.
LPG resident managers have several key responsibilities including:
- Daily Inspections: Each resident manager inspects their buildings on a daily basis and enters inspection results into Central Desktop.
- Rent Input: Each resident manager inputs resident’s monthly rent checks into Yardi.
- Building Upkeep: Resident managers are responsible for building upkeep including vacuuming, fixing minor repairs and tending to gardens.
- Apartment Repairs: Tenants fill out service request forms or send an e-mail to FixIt@LightnerGroup.com to coordinate a time to fix any problems in their apartment.
- Resident Communications: Managers are the voice of the owner and property manager at the property. They act as a resource of information and a conduit between the LPG office and the building coordinating and making sure there is an accurate and seamless communication flow.
- Move-In and Move-Out Tracking: Managers ensure a tenant’s intention to vacate is tracked, not only through Central Desktop, but through a Unit Availability List. When tenants leave our properties, they are also provided with an exit interview , allowing LPG to constantly improve its services.
- Leasing Units: When units are ready to lease, the Make-Ready Reports are used.
|
Interested in Learning More?
Contact Cathleen Higgins for Additional Information, or register to receive additional information via e-mail:
|