Here is a list of 20 commonly asked questions during a property manager interview. We have also included a sample answer for each question.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
The employer asks this question to assess the reasons you got into this role and whether you enjoy it. In your answer, confirm that you are interested in this position.
Sample Answer
“My great knowledge and expertise in this industry make me want to work in this industry. I am trained on how to set the rent price; advertise and market a property; preparing vacant units for rent; screening and selecting quality tenants. I am seeking an opportunity that will allow me to exercise all these skills as well as helping me grow in this industry.”
2. What Are The Roles Of A Property Manager?
The employer will ask you this question to find out whether you know the duties of a property manager. The best strategy of responding to this question is by highlighting a few responsibilities of a property manager as you relate them to the job at hand.
Sample Answer
“A property manager is responsible for setting the rent price; advertising and marketing a property; preparing vacant units for rent; screening and selecting quality tenants; preparing the lease agreements, handling complaints and other issues; collecting rents and adjusting its price; taking care of property maintenance and repair; contacting and supervising contractors; handling evictions and moving out; record-keeping and documentation.”
3. What Are The Qualities That A Property Manager Need To Be Successful?
The answer you provide for this question shows whether you know the qualities that you should have as a property manager. In your answer, cite some of the qualities listed on the company’s job posting.
Sample Answer
“A property manager must be detail-oriented, great communicator, prepared and proactive, organized, professional at work, and flexible. To be successful, a property manager should possess market knowledge, interpersonal skills, follow-up skills, decision-making skills, bookkeeping expertise, and ability to be firm when needed.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
Your response to this question helps the interviewer to evaluate the abilities you have towards handling challenges. The best strategy to respond to this question is to explain a situation that you consider as the greatest challenge in your previous role and how you managed it.
Sample Answer
“In one of the properties I was managing, I had a tenant who was difficult to work with. He was always late in paying rent. He also was very abusive and could cause problems to other tenants. I tried talking to him but he didn’t change his behaviors. I realized that this tenant was not interested to cooperate in any way and I had no other choice but to evict him”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Property Manager?
The employer asks this question to gauge your ability to organize and prioritize work. In your answer, portray your organizational and time-management skills as connect to the needs of your employer.
Sample Answer
“The first thing I do when I get into my office is scanning through my emails and voicemail to check whether there is anything that needs my attention. Then, prioritize my tasks for the day including setting the rent price; advertising and marketing a property; preparing vacant units for rent; screening and selecting quality tenants; preparing the lease agreements, handling complaints and other issues; collecting rents and adjusting its price; taking care of property maintenance and repair; contacting and supervising contractors; handling evictions and moving out; record-keeping and documentation.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
The hiring manager asks this question to determine whether your background reflects the needs of the company. Having gone through the job description, you should summarize your job history as you connect to the job at hand.
Sample Answer
“I have been a property manager for 2 years now. I have gained a lot of knowledge in this industry including the latest standards set by the government to control property management. In the course of my two years in this industry, I have known how to deal with different types of tenants to cause them to comply with the rules I set for tenants residing in different properties that I have. I have also been involved in setting the rent price; advertising and marketing a property; preparing vacant units for rent; screening and selecting quality tenants; preparing the lease agreements, handling complaints and other issues; collecting rents and adjusting its price; taking care of property maintenance and repair; contacting and supervising contractors; handling evictions and moving out; record-keeping and documentation. I believe that I will make a success of this role should I be hired.”
7. What Kind of Strategies and Mindset is Required for This Role?
The interviewer asks this question to assess your passion and attitude towards this role. The best strategy to respond to this question is by highlighting the strategies and mindsets you will use in performing this role.
Sample Answer
“A good property manager should possess market knowledge to be able to set the rent of the properties. He must be firm in his decision while dealing with tenants. The manager should be able to manage people before managing property to ensure that the tenants turnover rate remains low.”
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
The response you provide for this question will show your interviewer whether you are aware of the changes taking place in this field. In your response, share a few changes in the industry and highlight the challenges they are likely to cause. Showcase your ability to handle those changes.
Sample Answer
“The biggest challenge that I foresee in this job is a security threat. It will be difficult to know whether the tenants occupying the properties are genuine or they are there with a hidden agenda such as criminal records. However,I have the skills needed in screening and selecting quality tenants .”
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9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
The interviewer asks this question to evaluate your values as you perform the tasks assigned to you. In your response, highlight your interests and values that drive your morale for this role.
Sample Answer
“I am motivated by challenges. In my previous role as a property manager, I was tasked with training new recruits and managed to get a 100% success rate in passing scores. I understand that this job is fast-paced but I am well prepared for it. I love it.”
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learnt?
Your response to this question helps the interviewer to know if you are a person who owns his/her mistakes or not. In your response own mistakes in your actions and speak about the lessons you learned from the situation.
Sample Answer
“When I was new in this career, I was managing a property where one of the tenants was difficult to deal with. She was always late in paying her rent. She was ever drunk and would abuse everyone without considering his/her status. I was patient with her but she proved not to be cooperative. Her rent arrears continued to increase since instead of improving her behaviors, she became worse. I gave her a notice for her to clear the arrears but she didn’t even care to do so. I decided to evict her. When she left that premise, I realized that the tenant turnover rate of that property reduced drastically. Today, I am very firm in my decision. I do not tolerate tenants who bother other tenants.”
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
The response you provide for this question will illustrate your qualifications for this role. This is the time to link your experience, skills, personality, and education to the job at hand.
Sample Answer
“Besides being a great communicator, I am a detail-oriented and proactive property manager focused to work in a dynamic and challenging environment. I hold a bachelor’s degree in land economics. I have also been a property manager for more than 3 years now. The experience I have had has taught me on managing and supervising staff, generating income through selling, letting, and acquisition. Given a chance, I will play a great role in overseeing the day-to-day management of your properties under my direct management including managing client relations. Additionally, I will design measures to collect and grow the revenue in your properties.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.
Your response to this question will demonstrate your job performance as well as what you regard as a success. This is the time to brag about your past achievements.
Sample Answer
“When I got this position of a property manager( 3 years go), I designed new measures of collecting and growing the revenue in the properties I manage. Through this, the revenue increased from 66% to 89%. I have also been able to retain the tenants in the properties I manage and reduced the tenant turnover rate by 32%.”
13. As A Property Manager, What Is Your Management/ Leadership Style?
Leadership and management are essential aspects of this role. The interviewer will ask you this question to evaluate your leadership and management techniques. In your response, demonstrate that you can lead by example and inspire confidence in your subordinate as well as delegating tasks efficiently.
Sample Answer
“I am born a leader capable of motivating other people to achieve set goals. I am an empathetic person who relates well with other team members. I believe that it is important to delegate both responsibility and authority. This helps a team to develop and grow without being held back by a low ego. I thrive in building a team. I always ensure that every member of the team has understood clearly about his or her goal as well as depending on each other for the success of that role. According to me, real-time feedback is also important. I encourage members to talk immediately whenever they feel wronged. That way, anything that can slow down productivity gets eliminated”
14. Explain The Practices You Use To Ensure Routine Maintenance And Upkeep Of Rental Properties
This question helps the employer to gauge your ability to maintain routine cleaning and repair procedures to ensure the health and safety of tenants. In your response, emphasize your adherence to property laws, organizational and scheduling abilities, and commitment to well-maintained, safe properties.
Sample Answer
“I prefer using a digital calendar to schedule routine inspection and maintenance for every rental property that I manage to track completed maintenance activities. I also perform a property inspection before a tenant move in and after a tenant move out. This enables me to identify more in-depth maintenance needed.”
15. How Do You Choose New Potential Residents For The Properties You Manage?
The employer asks this question to find out your methodology of selecting tenants. In your response, explain the criteria you will use to select new tenants.
Sample Answer
“When I am screening tenants, I first check their identity cards or passports to ascertain that they are legally in the country. I then consider their cash flow and payment records. In my opinion, good income and lack of debts are a clear indication that a tenant will pay rent on time. I prioritize these candidates over others.”
16. What Types Of Property Management Software Are You Familiar With?
The response you provide for this question will help the interviewer to know whether or not you can handle a large property portfolio and deliver top service no matter how many properties you will be in charge of. As you respond to this question, Identify various software programs and demonstrate how you will use them to improve management abilities
Sample Answer
“Previously I have used Appfolio Property Manager, SimplifyEm’s, and Cozy property management software. However, I prefer using SimplifyEm’s property management software. Besides being user-friendly, It keeps track of the different tenants and all the accounts associated with the properties. It also helps me to organize rental properties, generates financial reports, manages tenants, sync and reconciles banks accounts. Through using this software, I am able to automate repetitive tasks, track maintenance requests as well as generating detailed reports such as tax reports.”
17. Are You Conversant With The Local Building Codes And The Fair Housing Laws?
The interviewer asks this question to assess whether you are familiar with the state tenant and landlord laws. Demonstrate your knowledge of the building codes and regulations set by the state as well as the ability to comply with them.
Sample Answer
“My training helped me to familiarize myself well with the state and local laws. However, during the three years that I have been working as a property manager, I have gained up-to-date knowledge of the local and state regulation related to property management. I am aware of the importance of meeting the state and local requirements in this industry.”
18. What Would You Do If A Tenant Calls And Tells You That The Water Pipes Have Burst In The Rental Property?
The interviewer asks this question to gauge your knowledge of procedures used in resolving the emergency situation. As you respond to this question, demonstrate your strong communication skills as well as your problem-solving abilities.
Sample Answers
“I would first contact an inspector as well as check-in with the insurance company to find out whether the situation is covered under the contract terms. After running the legal procedure, I would contact the contractor so that he can come to fix those broken pipes. I will ensure that the process of resolving that problem is done as quickly and smoothly as possible to ensure that my tenant is satisfied.”
19. Explain To Me Your Ideal Working Schedule.
Your response to this question will help your potential employer to know whether you can work independently or not as well as whether you can meet deadlines. The best way to respond to this question is by demonstrating that you can work independently and meet deadlines.
Sample Answer
“ I like working on a flexible schedule that enables me to work independently while still meeting deadlines. I can work well under pressure and I am always willing to take on added responsibilities when am required to do so.”
20. What Is Your Greatest Weakness And Strength?
Your response to this question will demonstrate your self-awareness. This question enables the interviewer to see how you will handle yourself should you be hired. The best way to respond to this question is by discussing both your strength and weakness in a positive manner.
Sample Answer
“My greatest strength is the ability to communicate effectively with people. The greatest weakness I have is to overwork myself. However, I am learning on delegating tasks so I can manage work effectively”
Conclusion
You can ace your next interview easily once you understand the questions that the interviewer is likely to ask. The above questions are asked mostly during property manager interviews. Study and practice them to be adequately prepared for your next interview.
