What questions should I ask a property manager before hiring in 76179?

In Texas, property management is regulated activity. A property manager must hold a Texas real estate broker license or work under one. An individual agent can manage property on behalf of their broker, but the broker must be the one with the license, not just the agent. Ask directly: 'Are you a licensed Texas real estate broker, or are you an agent working under a broker?' Then ask for the broker's TREC license number and verify it on the TREC website before you sign anything. This is not a skepticism exercise. It is standard due diligence. Any reputable PM will expect you to verify it.

The screening process is where most bad tenancies begin or are prevented. A professional PM should be able to describe their exact screening stack: credit report (which bureau, minimum score threshold), criminal background (national, county, or both), eviction history search, income verification (required ratio to rent), and rental history verification. Ask what their minimum income requirement is, typically 2.5x to 3x monthly rent, and whether they have written, documented screening criteria they apply consistently to every applicant. Written criteria matter for Fair Housing compliance. If they can't describe their screening process specifically, that is a red flag. 'We check the basics' is not a process.

Maintenance coordination is one of the highest-friction points in any PM relationship. Ask three things: (1) Do you have a preferred vendor list, and are those vendors licensed and insured? (2) At what dollar amount does a repair require my approval before they proceed? (3) Do you charge a markup on vendor invoices, or do I pay the vendor's rate directly? Some PMs take a percentage cut on every repair order, sometimes 10-20% on top of their management fee. This is legal but should be disclosed upfront. Some owners are fine with it; others are not. Know before you sign. A threshold of $200-$300 for emergency authorization and $500 for non-emergency repairs is common in Tarrant County.

Vacancy rate and average days-on-market for their listings tells you more than almost any other metric. Ask: What is your current portfolio vacancy rate? How long does it typically take you to place a tenant once a property is listed? What is your average tenant retention across renewals? A healthy Tarrant County PM should be placing tenants in 21-35 days and running a vacancy rate below 5% during normal market conditions. If they cannot answer these questions with specific numbers, or deflect with 'it depends on the property.' Ask them to pull an example from a recent listing. Operators who track their numbers can show them. Those who don't, can't.

Most property management contracts in Texas are 12-month agreements with automatic renewal. Ask: How do I terminate the contract if I am not satisfied? What notice is required? What happens to my current tenant if I terminate? Are there fees for early termination? Some contracts include a clause that ties you to the PM for the duration of the current lease even after you give notice, meaning you cannot switch managers mid-tenancy without paying a fee. Others have a 30-day notice provision with no penalty. Know which you are signing before you agree to anything. The termination clause is the most commonly overlooked part of the PM contract and the one that creates the most disputes.