Posts Categorized: General

Has Your Agent Drifted?

Despite our best intentions, it is human nature to drift over time.  We may start a new fitness routine, but after a few weeks we slowly stop going to the gym.  Some of us may commit to eating healthier, but we quickly become bored with broccoli and slide back into bad eating habits (fried chicken).  Those who are conscious of this effect constantly check themselves to get back on track.  Property tax agents are no different.  When a tax agent wants your business, they will position themselves with all they can and will do for you.  At first, you are the apple of their eye and will be treated like a VIP.  Over time, drift begins to creep in, and you become just another number in their client pool.  If you are not careful-and diligently holding them accountable-it will likely begin to be reflected in your tax savings.  

Hold Your Agent Accountable

The Property Tax Agent Checklist is a free tool that allows you to rate your agent in 10 areas that impact you directly.  They are:

1. Frequency of updates
2. Ease of communication
3. Communication when there are problems
4. Expertise in property taxes
5. Requests for information 
6. Mentality for problem solving 
7. Investment in your success
8. Capacity to meet your needs
9. Commitment to physical site visits
10. Current on market research

The score your agent earns from your evaluation will help you know if you should keep your agent or seek better representation.  Choosing the right agent for you can mean a huge impact to your bottom line.  Choosing a tax agent once and then continuing to use them simply to keep the status quo is the perfect storm to let drift set in.  The phrase “set it and forget it” is for crockpots, not for tax agent representation.  It allows agents to become complacent, and your results suffer.  As Joyce Carol Oates said, “The great menace to the life of an industry is industrial self-complacency.”  

Trust, but Verify

Your agent should focus on your best interests, but drift can cause them to go astray.  Use the Property Tax Agent Checklist annually to confirm that your agent is giving you the best representation.  Where there are correctable shortcomings, bring them up and hold your agent accountable to make the necessary changes.  You deserve the best agent to help you and your company reduce your Texas multifamily property taxes each year.

DOWNLOAD NOW

The greatest in the world in any field, be it surgeons, athletes, musicians, etc, are those who are dedicated to their craft and repeatedly focus their efforts on excellence. Others may practice, but the greatest consistently perform, and then ask, “what was the result and how can it improve?” They then do it again. They do not stop when others stop. They do not give up when it is difficult or seems impossible. They persevere, never letting obstacles stop them from their goal of excellence.

Our society values and rewards specialization. Just look at the salaries of specialized surgeons, athletes, or musicians. If I needed heart surgery, I would seek out the best heart surgeon, not my primary care physician. I know that my primary care physician, while a capable doctor, is not the best for what I need: heart surgery. A professional baseball team needing a pitcher, would not search out an outfielder to fill their need. While both players are skilled, their specific expertise does not translate to excellent performance.

Why should hiring a tax agent be any different? Most property tax firms are like primary care physicians. They are capable of general care and are helpful for common issues, but unfortunately, that does not mean excellence for any specific property types or issues. On the other hand, multifamily specialists, like heart surgeons, focus only on multifamily properties. They are dedicated to excellence, consistently perform, and then ask, “what was the result and how can it improve?” They then do it again. Right now, it is more important than ever that you have the best multifamily property tax expert on your team helping your company weather the economic storm of Covid-19. Hiring a multifamily specialist can save you time, reduce your property tax expenses, and be the game-changer you need right now.

Wayfinder Tax Relief, LLC is the #1 multifamily property tax specialist in the industry. They focus solely on multifamily properties and are at the cutting edge of the industry change. They are involved in many local apartment associations and are members of the Texas Apartment Association and the National Apartment Association.

Visiting our client’s properties annually is essential to making sure we achieve the best results. We have discovered so many overlooked or ignored issues that have resulted in substantial tax savings by being on-site.

This year we improved the annual site visit by becoming licensed drone pilots. We now have current pictures from both the ground and air of our client’s properties. Roof damage, flooding issues, and hard to visit places are now easily documented in pictures and videos in 4K resolution.

We love sharing our photography with our clients to use as they would like. Wayfinder is a property tax consulting firm specialized and focused on multifamily properties. If you would like additional information about our services please contact us at william@wayfindertaxrelief.com or 480-616-1025.