Why Work With Doud Realty Services – Professional Property Management

Property Owner Perspective

In the late nineties, my husband and I began purchasing rental property of our own. As our numbers increased, we recognized the need for Hampton Roads and Norfolk property management assistance due to his military deployment schedule and our busy family life. We looked at existing property management companies around us and found them to be overpriced and lacking in services. That led us to the idea that we could do much better for the community. We manage properties with a different perspective – the perspective of the property owner. All of the property managers on our team own rental property, so we know what it’s like to have mortgage payments and maintenance costs. We look for highly qualified, long term tenants so cash flow is easy to maintain.

Innovative Technology

One of the benefits of being a small company is that we can implement all the new technology that helps us to operate more efficiently. We use an online software system called Appfolio, which allows us to access all our records at any time. We offer online payment services, which means tenants can log in and pay rent with an electronic check or a credit card. They can also print off bar codes and pay their rent at the 7-11 or Ace Cash Advance. Prompt online rental payments allow us to deposit next day payments for our owners. 

We love our online maintenance request system because tenants can request repairs and report problems 24 hours a day. The entire process gets tracked from the moment the tenant makes the request to the contact with the vendor and the submitted estimate. We also track the owner’s approval and the payment of the invoice. The online inspection tool helps with differentiating normal wear and tear from tenant neglect. It’s easy to compare the condition of your property at the time of move in and the time of move out.

Tenant Showings

Finally, we are partnered with a new company called Rently. This is a unique service that allows potential renters to see the property before they contact you. A prospective tenant can log in with a credit card, get authenticated and view the property. This instant access has caused a dramatic drop in the number of days on the market. A tenant can go to a house, scan the barcode and walk right in to see the property.