Chicago Property Management Blog

I have had the unique opportunity as an owner of a property management company to lead the company’s new business division. That means I am on the front lines, talking every day with property owners and investors about our services. Early on, in the first 10 years of our company's existence, I wore the new business development hat along with about 20 other hats. In 2013, I replaced myself with another team member while I worke...

When talking with customers and investors, I often get asked what “GC” stands for and what the meaning behind our logo is. I will get into what “GC” represents in another article, but I wanted to share with you how we came up with our current logo and how it represents us as a company.History of GCR&D LogoOur company was originally established in 2003, and our current logo is just the second logo we have used...

Often when I speak with investors about property management, one of the first questions I get asked is, “how much are your fees?” I think that question quickly comes up in a conversation for two reasons:PRICE DRIVEN – maybe the investor is price driven, and they will go with whatever the lowest price is on the surface. That investor may not realize that he/she is possibly sacrificing hundreds or thousands of dollars in...

Should you hire a property manager? You're trying to decide if you should manage your own property or hire a professional property manager to do it for you. Some people are not that good at managing properties. That's a pretty common problem. They put the property on Craig's List and Facebook. They're not getting quality leads. Your tenants are constantly paying late and giving you every excuse on the book for why they c...

We're not the right Property Management company for everyone.We receive many inquiries into our business each day from people interested in our Chicagoland Property Management services. As it turns out,  we aren't good fits for most - a large majority, in fact - of these inquiries. Even if you have the right property in the right location, we totally understand that we may not be the best fit for you. In real...

Renting your home quickly is the best way to increase the return on your investment. Today we have some ideas to help you rent your home to the highest quality tenant in the shortest period of time.Pro-tips to rent your property quickerTake a look at the condition of your property. You want fresh paint, clean surfaces, well-manicured landscaping, and attention to detail both inside and outside of your property. Make sure the p...

We believe there are the four questions you should ask a property management company before hiring them.  Number 1:What is their tenant screening process? How do they screen them? Take me through what their process looks like. What's included? Is it a full criminal, credit, eviction, background check? Do they require proof of on time rent payments? Pay stubs? Do they look into their social media accounts? Do they call reference...

Whether you are considering your first rental property or just closed on your 50th, you have many decisions to make relating to how you will manage your investment. Keep that pink bathroom or tear it out? Update the landscaping yourself or hire help? One of the questions you may not have considered is whether or not to hire a property manager. Many investors (both new and experienced) are hesitant to hand over any of their cash flow to ...

Homeowners looking to rent out their properties want to know when they get paid and how they get their money when working with a professional property management company in Chicago. That’s an important question, and today we’re providing some insight into how we do things and handle your finances.Property Management Chicagoland: Processing PaymentsWe do our payouts by the twelfth of every month. Why the twelfth? Generally, w...

One of the questions we are asked most frequently is – what happens if my tenant doesn’t pay rent? This is an understandable concern for landlords, and today we’re sharing some ideas about how a property manager will handle a nonpaying tenant. Treat Your Property as a BusinessWhen you are a landlord or you own investment property, you need to treat it as a business. So, make sure you have two or three months of re...