Handling every inbound call yourself, or with a small team, works until it doesn’t. You start missing leasing inquiries during the day, and after-hours maintenance calls begin to burn out your staff. A property management call center is designed to solve this problem by acting as a professional extension of your team, 24/7.
This post will explain what a call center does, the signs that you might need one, and how to find a provider that fits your needs.
What Is a Property Management Call Center?
A property management call center is a professional service that handles inbound calls, maintenance requests, and resident communications on your behalf. A call center acts as an extension of your team, following your specific protocols to triage issues and escalate emergencies.
For example, when a resident calls after hours with a burst pipe, they reach a trained operator who understands property management.
The call center agent can distinguish between true emergencies and routine requests, dispatch your approved vendors, and create work orders directly in your property management software.
- Live operators: Real people answer every call, not automated systems. Operators receive training specific to property management and follow your customized scripts.
- 24/7 availability: You get coverage during nights, weekends, and holidays. Your residents can always reach someone who can help.
- Emergency protocols: Operators identify urgent issues using your criteria and contact on-call staff or emergency vendors immediately, following your escalation procedures.
- Integration capabilities: Many call centers connect with property management software, allowing operators to access resident information and update records in real-time.
Now that we’ve defined what a property management call center is, the next question is whether your own portfolio actually needs one.
Do You Need a Call Center for Your Portfolio?
Property managers often reach a point where handling every inbound service call internally no longer makes sense. Recognizing the signs that you need outside support can help you make the decision before problems escalate or your team burns out.
Volume and Coverage Triggers
Your call volume and coverage needs often signal when it’s time to consider a call center. If your team regularly misses calls during business hours, you’re losing potential leads and frustrating current residents.
Staff working nights and weekends to handle maintenance calls face burnout quickly. When your on-call maintenance employee gets a call at 3 AM for the third time in a week, you’re paying hidden costs in overtime and turnover. A growing voicemail backlog that takes days to clear also indicates your team can’t keep pace with incoming requests.
Cost and ROI Signals
The financial case for a call center often becomes clear when you calculate the true cost of your current approach. One missed water leak that runs all weekend can cause thousands in damage that proper after-hours response would have prevented.
A single tenant who moves out due to poor communication or a slow response time costs you turnover expenses and lost rent during vacancy. While any portfolio can benefit, property management companies with hundreds of units often see immediate value because the volume of after-hours calls justifies the monthly investment.
Risk and Resident Experience
Delayed emergency response creates liability that extends beyond property damage. If a resident can’t reach anyone about a security issue or heating failure, you may face issues that could have been avoided with proper after-hours coverage.
Your online reputation also suffers when residents can’t reach you. Negative reviews mentioning “impossible to contact” drive away prospective tenants and concern current residents. A drop in tenant satisfaction often points directly to communication issues that a contact center can address.
If you’re seeing these signs, understanding the day-to-day operational flow of a call center can help you visualize how it would work with your team.
How a Call Center Works With Your Team
A property management call center extends your capabilities beyond normal business hours. The should happen easily, with clear handoffs and communication protocols that keep everyone informed.
24/7 Coverage and Escalation
After your office closes, calls route promptly to the contact center. Operators answer using your company name and follow your customized greeting scripts. For emergencies, they immediately contact your on-call staff through a predetermined escalation chain.
The escalation process includes confirmation protocols to verify your team received urgent messages. Operators don’t just leave voicemails for an emergency call; they confirm receipt through callbacks or text confirmations.
Emergency vs. Non-Emergency Triage
Operators use clear criteria to categorize every call, preventing unnecessary middle-of-the-night wake-ups while addressing true emergencies immediately. Your customized protocols define exactly what constitutes an emergency for your properties.
Emergency situations requiring immediate attention include:
- No heat when temperatures drop below a threshold you specify
- Major water leaks causing active damage
- Security issues such as broken entry doors or windows
Non-emergency issues logged for next business day follow-up include:
- Dripping faucets or running toilets without overflow
- Noise complaints that don’t involve immediate safety concerns
- Rent payment questions or balance inquiries
Work Order and Vendor Dispatch
When operators receive maintenance requests, they create detailed work orders directly in your system. For emergencies, they dispatch service technicians from your approved vendor list, providing the vendor with property access information and specific issue descriptions.
The operator tracks the dispatch process, confirming vendor availability and estimated arrival time. For non-emergency items, operators create work orders that appear in your queue for the next business day.
Easy Integration With Your Property Management Software
Direct integration between your call center and property management software creates a seamless and reliable workflow. Operators see relevant resident information when calls come in, including lease details and previous maintenance requests.
For example, Buildium’s fully-integrated Maintenance Contact Center links directly with its other maintenance management tools.
What Services Should a Call Center Handle?
A maintenance contact center can manage a wide range of tasks, freeing your team to focus on property visits, owner meetings, and strategic growth initiatives.
Maintenance Emergencies
After-hours maintenance emergencies require immediate, informed response. When an HVAC system fails or pipes burst, operators identify the severity, document the issue, and dispatch appropriate vendors from your emergency list.
Operators gather specific information that helps vendors arrive prepared, such as which unit is affected or where the water shutoff is located. This level of maintenance coordination helps get issues resolved faster.
Non-Emergency Ticketing
Routine maintenance requests make up the majority of after-hours calls. Operators log these comprehensively for next-day follow-up, capturing all details so your team doesn’t need to call residents back for clarification.
The detailed ticketing means your maintenance coordinator starts each morning with a prioritized list of new service requests. No more listening to lengthy voicemails or trying to decipher hasty notes.
What Does a Call Center Cost?
Property management call center pricing varies based on your needs and call volume. Understanding different pricing models helps you budget accurately and compare providers.
Most call centers offer several pricing structures. Per-minute billing charges only for actual talk time, making it a good fit for properties with sporadic after-hours calls. Per-call pricing charges a flat rate for each answered call, regardless of length.
Monthly retainer plans offer a set number of minutes or calls for a fixed monthly fee, providing budget predictability for properties with steady call volumes. Tiered plans based on unit count can also simplify budgeting by charging based on your portfolio size.
What to Look for in a Property Management Call Center Provider
Choosing the right call center partner requires looking beyond price to evaluate their capability to represent your business and integrate with your operations.
SLAs and Reporting
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) define measurable performance standards. Look for fast average speed to answer standards for emergency lines, with low abandon rates. First-call resolution rates indicate how often operators handle issues completely.
Monthly performance reports should detail call volumes, handle times, and resolution rates. Look for providers offering real-time dashboards or integrate with a broader property management software platform where you can monitor activity.
Training and Compliance
Property management expertise separates specialized call centers from generic answering services. Operators should understand Fair Housing laws and treat all callers equally, and since laws vary by state and locality, it’s important to consult with a qualified legal professional.
Data security protocols protect sensitive resident information. Background checks for all professional agents provide peace of mind when they’re accessing your resident data.
Bilingual and Accessibility
Spanish-speaking operators expand your service capability. Many markets benefit from bilingual support, and residents appreciate communicating in their preferred language during emergencies.
Translation services for other languages and TTY/TDD capabilities for hearing-impaired residents meet accessibility needs and demonstrate your commitment to serving all residents.
Onboarding and Scripts
The onboarding process reveals how well a provider will integrate with your operations. Customization should include developing phone scripts that match your company’s tone. Operators need training on your specific properties and local vendor relationships.
- Property management experience: Check their client base and industry expertise.
- Integration capabilities: Confirm they work with your current software.
- Transparent pricing: Look for clear terms without hidden fees.
- Quality assurance processes: Ask about call recording and monitoring.
- References: Speak with property managers of similar-sized portfolios.
Finding a provider that checks these boxes is one thing, but making sure they work with the tools you already use is just as important.
Buildium’s Maintenance Contact Center
Buildium’s Maintenance Contact Center is a seamless service that integrates with the software’s other features. Operators can create tasks and dispatch vendors without any duplicate data entry.
When a resident calls, the operator can view relevant information in Buildium and create a task directly in your account and assign it to the appropriate team member or vendor.
Buildium customers use this type of contact center integration to scale their operations without proportionally increasing staff. The maintenance management features in Buildium complement call center services by providing a framework for request tracking and vendor management. This integration is how you can keep residents covered without overwhelming your staff.
To see how you can button up your communication and maintenance systems, schedule a guided demo or sign up for a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Frequently Asked Questions About Property Management Call Centers
Is a Call Center the Same as an Answering Service?
No, a call center offers comprehensive support including emergency dispatch and work order creation, while an answering service typically just takes messages for later delivery.
How Many Units or Calls Justify Adding a Call Center?
The decision depends more on your call patterns and team capacity than a specific unit count. If your team regularly works after hours or misses calls, a call center could be a good fit.
What SLAs Should I Require for After-Hours Maintenance?
Look for emergency calls to be answered quickly, with on-call staff contacted within minutes for true emergencies. Non-emergency items should be logged accurately for next-business-day review.
How Does a Call Center Integrate With My Property Management Software?
Modern call centers often connect through an open API, allowing operators to view resident information and create work orders in real-time. This integration keeps all communication in your primary system.
How Do I Estimate the Monthly Cost for My Portfolio?
Calculate your average monthly call volume and multiply it by the per-minute or per-call rate, then add any monthly minimum fees. Compare this to your current costs for overtime and missed opportunities.
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