In property management, what should the manager prioritize?

The priority of a property manager should be to maximize the net income for the investor. This focus ensures that the property is not only maintained effectively but also operates in a manner that generates the highest possible return on investment. The role of a property manager encompasses various tasks such as optimizing rental income, minimizing operating expenses, and maintaining occupancy rates, which all contribute to enhancing the financial performance of the property.

By concentrating on maximizing net income, the property manager aligns with the investor’s objectives, ensuring that the investment generates adequate returns. This approach includes strategic decisions about pricing, property improvements, tenant management, and cost control, all of which are critical in sustaining and growing income from the property.

The other choices highlight practices that would not align with ethical management and could lead to significant legal and financial ramifications. For instance, commingling rents with personal accounts violates fiduciary duties and legal regulations, while profiting from kickbacks undermines trust and transparency. While reinvesting profits might be a good practice in certain contexts, it is secondary to maximizing net income, which is fundamentally about the immediate financial performance of the investment.