QUOTE (schierau1 @ May 25 2010, 11:19 PM)
I switched from Kirkside to RPM in the fall of 09. Kirkside is just as every post has described, incompetant, full of exuses, lack of communication, have to chase down Carolyn to get partial answers... I lost money using them. They even took a tenant (in a lease) over to another property when I told them I was switching to RPM and they would not cooperate with collecting rents due under the lease.
I met Kap from RPM at the BC REIN meetings and quite liked him and what he had to say about their approach and philosphies, and my partners had good things to say about his partner Rod, so we contracted them. In the first couple of months I saw turn over of two PM's, but have had the third one for at least 6 months. The key element I communicated to Kap I was looking for was solid communication and quick responsiveness (due to my previous frustrations with Kirkside - once bitten twice shy). I think the issues they were having with the turnover in PMs resulted in the opposite effect and I felt some frustration returning. They use an online system to communicate, similar to the one described in the posts for Libertas, this works well when the staff are on top of it daily. In late December Kap contacted me to discuss concerns and we ended up agreeing to work together (me to chill out a bit and them to work on communication), and till about March all had been great...the new person they had managing my properties (who had been their leasing mgr) was extremely communicative, calling me daily with updates and making recommendations, meeting me when I went to Edmonton to walk me through the units (a couple of which were thrashed by the continued Kirkside tenants who we are now evicting)..but suddenly for the last couple of months the manager has been less responsive and it takes me several days to a week and multiple messages (both phone and through the portal) to get a hold of her for updates. I have a unit that has been vacant for the last two months and discovered it seems to not be advertised (last week I asked for them to point me to any marketing which I have not heard back on yet), but my unit is not on their website and couldn't find it on some of the big sights... I am wondering if it is an oversight? I asked the PM for info on the numbers of showings (just sent that note in my portal tonight in follow up to my earlier phone message). I am sure Kap and or Rod will read this post and I do hope we can work together to turn this back around and make improvements.
I think you guys have the potential to be great and I hope I can report back that you have responded positively and are making improvements.
Further update to this, I have since moved over my properties to A La Carte and Jared and his team have thus far exceeded my expectations...RPM had one of my properties vacant for 3 months and another came up in that time and was vacant 6 weeks before I switched to A La Carte...RPM kept saying to lower my price... Jared came in and raised the price of one unit by $92/m and rented it in 10 days (the one that was vacant 3 months)...the other unit was rented in 7 days and stopped the bleeding. In the same time, yet a another RPM property manager left and Kap has since stepped in to try and stabilize the business. Not sure where they are at now, but I can say that Bernie from Property Solutions was correct in another post, you have to find what works for you... A La Carte, so far, has been night and day and gets things done.. They are currently completing the reno on a third property I handed to them where the tenants ended up being a disaster (a legacy from Kirkside) and trashed the flooring and walls... RPM suggested I deal with the Eviction process myself through Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (which I am glad I did for the experience, not fun but great to know) and Jared at A La Carte was there for me through the process to answer questions and guide me on the process and he and his team took on the steps to get the tenant out once I won the judgement and now they are completing the reno to get it marketed again.
