How Many Properties Can a Property Manager Manage? 

Real estate investors and homeowners generally hire property managers to let and oversee their properties. After purchasing a building or an apartment, these investors give out these spaces for lease. 

To generate passive income from these properties, they will hire a property manager to oversee these responsibilities. Depending on the type of service they provide, these professionals usually take care of the following 

• Rent collection 

• Property budget management 

• Handling maintenance requests  

• Overseeing repairs 

In most cases, a single property manager will handle up to 40 different properties. However, this is not a fixed number. Depending on the scale of their operations and the size of their team, a real estate manager can manage anywhere from 50 to 200 sites.  

Property management is not a uniform system, and not all managers have the same number of properties under their belt.  

A rent roll isn't just a simple number - different properties require different types of management. Factors like location, property size, management team, and more influence the number of buildings a real estate manager oversees.  

For example, for a one-man team, it may be difficult to handle more than 25 properties efficiently. They will have to stretch themselves thin to satisfy the demands of tenants, property owners, and administration.  

However, if they were to team up with a larger conglomerate or even form a group with other property managers, they would be able to manage their sites more efficiently.  

Not all property managers offer the same service. Based on their understanding/contract with the owners, a manager will either offer a basic standard service or end-to-end property management. 

The former is a pod-style system, meaning the manager will handle only the basic administration roles. The areas under their purview will thus include rent collection and property maintenance. In these cases, the manager fulfills the role of an administrator. 

However, end-to-end service is a more sophisticated system requiring a few sales-based skills. With this service, the manager will look after the property's administrative needs, including rent auditing and account processing. However, they will also have to take care of the leasing, the property introduction, the BDM as well as the marketing.  

Simple but crucial a property's location and condition determines the number of sites a real estate manager can oversee. For example, if they are handling multiple units in the same building, the work will be easier for them.  

However, if the units are spread over a large distance, it can be an issue. Routine inspections are an important part of a property manager's role. Thus traveling between multiple setups for maintenance calls can be draining. 

Compared to this, managing multiple units in the same building makes management easier. With such a setup,  a real estate manager will be able to oversee more properties. 

For real estate managers, the rule is simple - the more experienced you are, the more properties you can manage. 

This role is sometimes more about managing people than properties. Since these professionals have to deal with people every day, interpersonal skills are integral to their success. 

Any experienced property owner will know how to handle tenant outbursts, maintenance issues, or owner complaints professionally. Over time they hone their people skills to tackle all issues calmly.  

Another important factor that accompanies industry experience is vendor contacts. To run a successful business, a real estate manager has to have access to service providers like electricians, plumbers, contractors, and more. These contacts take years to build and maintain.  

Thus a new manager cannot simply take on the responsibility of over 50 buildings without access to such service providers. Only experienced professionals will have the means and the relationships to take on the demanding role.  

Additionally, over the years, property manager also usually acquires and maintains an efficient team around them. With the help of their employees/assistants, they can oversee more properties. With more bodies, a manager can delegate routine work and focus on the more pressing issues. 

For higher work output, the team can even take management courses and training. These will help them take on more management roles in the future. Additionally, local laws may also sometimes dictate the limit of properties a single property manager can manage.