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Residential Real Estate
Apr 18, 2022

Property Managers Wear Many Hats Part Three: Property Managers Are Your Advocates

Sponsored Content provided by Mike Harrington - CEO & Owner, Carolina Retreats

Carolina Retreats is the premier property management company here in Coastal North Carolina.  As a property owner’s advocate, we take real responsibility when it comes to all facets of vacation rental property management.
 
There is reward…and risk in owning a vacation rental property.  It’s unfortunate, but these risks are almost endless, from breakage to damage, to vandalism, to theft. Naturally, prospective owners are concerned with how their professional property manager can help mitigate that damage. We at Carolina Retreats have a three-tiered structure for addressing these potential issues before they become problems.
 
Our first tier is our eagle-eyed professional housekeeping staff. We purposely assign the same housekeepers to the same properties, so they become accustomed to how everything looks and how everything works in each home. They are typically the first to notice if anything is amiss.
 
The second tier is our inspection staff. During our busy summer season, the inspectors tour each property after the housekeeping staff has cleaned (or “turned”) the property. They look for overall cleanliness, but also make sure that everything in your home is working properly.
 
The third tier is our maintenance staff. Every time they visit your property, whether it’s for a guest or housekeeping repair or scheduled maintenance, they check your home systems to be sure all is functioning optimally.
 
But there is much more.  At Carolina Retreats, our professional property managers are advocates. We are advocates for our communities and our property owners. Typically, we attend county planning meetings, and keep up to date on any planned changes to zoning regulations as they relate to vacation rentals and our owners.
 
We also establish important relationships with many of the HOAs in which we represent properties, so that we can proactively address any neighborhood concerns before they turn into something more. We strive to be good community neighbors by participating in fundraising events, sponsoring sports teams, and being involved in our communities. All of this helps to foster brand recognition, which many times, translates into not just goodwill, but additional reservations.
 
At Carolina Retreats we are up close and personal with our properties.  Not many people are lucky enough to live where other people vacation. This means that many vacation rental property owners don’t live near their properties. In trying to self-manage an investment, this could be a problem.  Out-of-town owners don’t know who to call for housekeeping, for maintenance, for emergency services. They may have a friend or neighbor who looks in on the property, but that’s not at all the same as having a professional property manager regularly checking the property. 
 
At Carolina Retreats our property managers truly love their communities and want to share them with others. We have lived in these communities for many years, some of us our whole lives, and we know just where to go for nearly everything. And maybe more importantly, we also know where not to go.  
 
The bottom line…a good property manager is a valuable resource.  Carolina Retreats’ property managers are some of the most hands-on professionals that exist. Perhaps the most important attribute we offer is our in-depth knowledge of our markets. Many of us grew up here and keep our fingers firmly on the pulse of our communities. If you are looking for the best return on your investment and a professional property manager- turn to Carolina Retreats. You will be glad you did.


Mike Harrington is the CEO & Owner of Carolina Retreats, a specialty lodging and vacation rental management firm serving more than 300 vacation property owners throughout the Cape Fear region. Before founding Carolina Retreats in 2015, Mike spent 10 years on the Outer Banks as CEO and General Manager of Resort Realty, a high end real estate sales and vacation rental company with 600 properties under management, five offices, and more than 100 full-time employees and real estate agents. Mike is a Past-President and Board Member of the Vacation Rental Manager's Association (VRMA), the largest international trade association for the vacation rental industry, as well as Past-President for the North Carolina Vacation Rental Manager's Association (NCVRMA). He is frequently asked to speak at seminars and trade conferences on the latest vacation rental management trends in marketing, operations, and strategy. Mike holds a MBA from East Carolina University, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and serves as an Advisory Board member for East Carolina's School of Hospitality Leadership.
 
 

 
 

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