The Real Portfolio Picture

• Tell me briefly how many buildings you own that you want us to consider in this engagement Options: 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, 11-15, More than 15
• Which markets do those properties live in, and are any outside your region of primary oversight Options: All within one metro, Across a single state, Two to three states, Multi-region
• How would you describe the typical size and class of these assets, in rentable square feet and building class Options: Under 25k, Class C, 25k–75k, Class B/C, 75k–150k, Class B, Over 150k, mixed class
• Walk me through the recent changes to the portfolio, acquisitions or dispositions in the last 18 months and their impact on operations
• Who currently handles day-to-day property oversight at each site, and how many on-site staff report to that role Options: No on-site staff, 1 part-time, 1 full-time, 2–3 full-time, 4+ full-time
• On a monthly basis, how often are you seeing urgent tenant maintenance requests that require vendor escalation Options: Weekly or more, Bi-weekly, Monthly, Less than monthly

Where Buildings Lose Money

• If one ongoing building issue could justify switching managers tomorrow, which unresolved problem would that be
• Which expense lines have trended above budget most often in the past two years Options: HVAC/Utilities, Maintenance & repairs, Contracted services, Property taxes, Insurance, Other
• When you look at maintenance backlogs today, how many months of deferred work exist on average per property Options: None, 1-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-12 months, More than 12 months
• Describe the last time a vendor contract failed to deliver savings you expected, what happened and what you changed afterwards
• Which building(s) in the portfolio currently drive the largest variance between budgeted and actual operating costs
• Which single operational risk, if left unaddressed during transition, would make you stop the onboarding

Why Tenants Really Leave

• How often do tenants raise service complaints that escalate beyond on-site staff to you or your asset manager Options: Multiple times a month, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely
• Which tenant feedback themes recur most often, pick all that apply Options: Slow repairs, Cleanliness, Noise/comfort, Communication and responsiveness, Billing or lease clarity, Parking/amenities, Other
• Tell me about the last tenant who left for service reasons, why they left and what you tried to retain them
• What retention target would make a material difference to your revenue forecast over the next 12 months Options: +1-3 percentage points, +4-6 points, +7-10 points, More than 10 points
• If an incoming manager demonstrated a clear 90-day plan to improve tenant satisfaction, what would stop you from moving ahead immediately
• Which tenant groups would you expect prioritized outreach during the first 30 days, select all that apply Options: Top revenue tenants, Tenants with service histories, Tenants with short-term leases, Major common-area users, All tenants equally

Budgets That Keep You Up at Night

• How much did operating expense per rentable square foot vary from budget on average across the portfolio last year Options: On budget, Up to 5% over, 5–10% over, 10–20% over, More than 20% over
• Which part of the operating budget do you feel is most exposed to mismanagement or surprise increases Options: Utilities, Maintenance, Contract services, Capital replacements, Taxes/insurance
• Who approves budget adjustments above a set threshold today, and what is that approval threshold Options: Property owner/individual, <$5k, Asset manager, $5k–$25k, Investment committee, $25k–$100k, Board-level, >$100k
• When vendors are renegotiated, how much annual savings do you reasonably expect before you consider the effort worthwhile Options: Under 5%, 5–10%, 10–20%, More than 20%
• Which expense or capital shortfall would cause you to pause a management transition

Who Pulls the Trigger

• Who are the decision-makers and approvers for a management change, list roles and typical approval order
• Which internal stakeholder tends to object first when a new vendor is proposed Options: Asset manager, CFO/Controller, Investment committee, On-site manager, Owner/principal
• How do you prefer to balance speed versus thoroughness in these decisions, are quick wins more important or long-term verification Options: Speed now, Balanced, Thorough verification
• If the team delivers a pilot showing targeted savings and occupancy improvements, who could sign a contract within three business days Options: Owner/principal, Asset manager, CFO, Investment committee member
• Which single person or committee holds veto power over vendor changes

The Other Paths You May Take

• Which alternatives are you actively considering besides hiring an outside manager, select all that apply Options: Stay with incumbent, Bring management in-house, Hire a local operator per asset, Short-term consultant, Sell the asset, Other
• When you think about staying with your current manager, what would have to be true about their performance for you to keep them
• Has anyone on your team proposed solving the issues without an outside partner, and if so who and what was their plan Options: Yes, in-house plan, Yes, consultant plan, No internal proposal, Other
• Name the top two strengths and the top two weaknesses of your incumbent management approach
• What single condition would keep you from switching to an outside manager right now

Can You Actually Make This Happen

• Which of these operational prerequisites are already ready for handoff, select all that apply Options: Complete lease abstracts, Tenant portal access, Vendor contact lists, Site keys and access, Up-to-date operating budgets, None of the above
• Which accounting or property systems will we need to connect to, and is API access available for them Options: Yardi or equivalent, API available, Yardi or equivalent, no API, General ledger only, Custom system, API status unknown, No system access currently
• How clean are your tenant records and lease abstracts right now, and who owns the task of producing missing items Options: Complete and current, Mostly complete, Partial, needs work, Largely missing
• Which vendor contracts are non-assignable or require owner consent to transfer, and how many are affected Options: None, 1-2, 3-5, More than 5, Unknown
• Which single constraint, if unresolved before a go-live date, would prevent a 60–90 day stabilization timeline

Signs You Would Say Yes

• What measurable KPIs would you require as acceptance criteria for the first 90 days, pick up to three Options: Occupancy change, Tenant satisfaction score, Expense reduction percentage, Vendor savings realized, Delinquency reduction, Other
• How soon do you need to see tangible improvements before a renewal decision becomes difficult to change Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months
• If a pilot or proof-of-concept shows the promised occupancy and cost results, what internal step would most speed the contract sign Options: Executive approval, CFO sign-off, Investment committee vote, Legal review complete
• How would you like reporting structured during the transition, frequency and primary audience Options: Weekly operational to on-site staff, Bi-weekly to asset manager, Monthly to owner/CFO, Custom cadence per property
• If everything in a proposed stabilization plan checked your boxes, how quickly could you commit to a start date Options: Immediately, Within 2 weeks, Within 1 month, Longer than 1 month

• Stabilization Plan Experience

• Confirm the current state and cost to your portfolio
• You confirm the restated current state and the quantified monthly cost to your cash flow and occupancy targets.
• Deliver a tailored 90-day stabilization plan with property-specific prioritized repairs, vendor renegotiation targets, tenant outreach scripts, and projected occupancy and expense trajectories within 5 business days.
• Provide the most recent 12 months of operating statements, the open work order list, and the prioritized tenant complaints list for the properties under discussion.
• Walk through the 60 to 90 day stabilization roadmap
• You confirm that the 60 to 90 day roadmap directly addresses each pain point and will produce the expected occupancy and expense outcomes.
• Show tenant outreach and retention plan with sample messaging
• You agree on the evidence and metrics required to proceed, including target occupancy, expense ceilings, and tenant satisfaction indicators.
• Schedule the follow-up decision review with the buying committee and the seller's operations lead within 10 business days.
• Present comparable outcome cases for occupancy and expense
• Confirm first-30-day operational deliverables and acceptance criteria
• Validate alignment with your needs

• Stabilization Plan Experience
• Stabilization Plan Deck
• Stabilization Plan Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Transfer Tenant Files and Lease Abstracts
• Establish Tenant Portal and Access
• Host Tenant Meet-and-Greet Sessions
• Renegotiate and Consolidate Vendor Contracts
• Reassign or Replace On-site Maintenance Staff
• Execute Preventive Maintenance Work Orders
• Manage Routine Repairs and Vendor Dispatch
• Manage Capital Improvement Procurement and Construction
• Administer Vendor Invoices and Expense Reconciliation
• Enforce Lease Terms and Collect Rent
• Coordinate Move-In/Move-Out Turnovers and Repairs
• Provide Emergency Response and After-Hours Dispatch
• File Permits and Manage Regulatory Compliance
• Execute Tenant Improvement Projects

Transfer Tenant Files and Lease Abstracts

• Do you have a current rent roll and lease abstract for every leased space? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• How many lease files require redaction or scanning from paper to searchable PDF? Options: None, 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, More than 200
• What tenant documents must be included in each transferred file (for example signed lease, rent ledger, certificate of insurance)?
• What acceptance criteria will confirm transfer completeness (for example: verified lease abstract, signed receipt, and searchable PDF for 100% of active leases)?
• Who will provide access to locked or off-site tenant files and what is their contact title?

Establish Tenant Portal and Access

• Do you plan to enable tenant self-service for work orders, payments, or both? Options: Work orders, Payments, Both, Neither
• How many tenant accounts must be created and seeded from the rent roll? Options: Less than 50, 50-200, 201-500, More than 500
• What authentication method should tenants use (for example single sign-on with your corporate directory or email-only accounts)? Options: Email-only, Single sign-on, Two-factor optional, Other
• What evidence will validate portal access for active tenants (for example: percent of tenants with active accounts and first login recorded)?
• Are there tenant subgroups that need different portal permissions such as property-level managers or suite contacts? Options: Yes, No

Host Tenant Meet-and-Greet Sessions

• Which buildings require in-person tenant meet-and-greet sessions within the first 30 days?
• What frequency of sessions per building do you expect during the 90-day stabilization? Options: One session, Two sessions, Recurring weekly check-ins, As-needed
• Who should present on-site maintenance plans and vendor changes at the sessions?
• Do you require printed informational packets including emergency contact cards, common-area rules, and maintenance request procedures? Options: Yes, No
• What outcomes should the meet-and-greet achieve (for example tenant contact confirmation, portal enrollment, and issue triage)?

Renegotiate and Consolidate Vendor Contracts

• Do you have an inventory of current vendor contracts with service scope and expiration dates? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• Which vendor categories are highest priority for renegotiation within 90 days (for example HVAC, janitorial, landscaping)? Options: HVAC, Janitorial, Landscaping, Security, Elevator, Other
• What annual spend thresholds trigger a procurement review (for example services over $25,000 per year)?
• Are there existing consolidated master service agreements you want us to assume or opt into? Options: Yes, No, Need review
• What integration points must be transferred for vendor management (for example vendor contact lists, certificate of insurance records, and service level agreements)?

Reassign or Replace On-site Maintenance Staff

• Do current on-site maintenance staff have signed job descriptions and training records? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• Number of properties that require a staffing change or replacement within 90 days? Options: None, 1-2, 3-5, 6+
• How will you verify the 90-day staffing and training deliverables are complete (for example: completed timesheets, training sign-off forms, and background check records)?
• What on-site maintenance certifications or licenses are required for your buildings (for example HVAC EPA certification or elevator mechanic license)?
• Do you require a temporary vendor-managed maintenance plan during staff transition? Options: Yes, No

Execute Preventive Maintenance Work Orders

• Is there an existing preventive maintenance schedule for major assets such as HVAC, boilers, and elevators? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• What inspection intervals are required per asset class (for example HVAC quarterly, elevator monthly)?
• Count of outstanding preventive maintenance work orders older than 30 days? Options: None, 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, More than 200
• Do you want automated preventive maintenance generation tied to equipment runtime or calendar dates? Options: Runtime-based, Calendar-based, Both, No automation
• Who on your team approves preventive maintenance scope changes that increase estimated costs above budget thresholds?

Manage Routine Repairs and Vendor Dispatch

• What standard response time SLA do you expect for routine repairs (for example next business day or 48 hours)? Options: Next business day, 48 hours, 72 hours, Custom
• Is vendor dispatch tracking required with photos and completion notes attached to the work order? Options: Yes, No
• Which vendor categories should be used for ad hoc repairs versus internal trade staff? Options: Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, HVAC, Other
• Are parts and materials purchases for routine repairs included in the operating budget or billed separately? Options: Included in operating budget, Billed separately, Mixed
• What documentation do you require for completed repairs (for example invoice, photo before/after, tenant sign-off)?

Manage Capital Improvement Procurement and Construction

• Do approved capital improvement budgets and scopes exist for the next 12 months? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• Which project types are out of scope for this engagement (for example structural repairs above $50,000, asbestos abatement, or landlord-funded capital projects above $50,000)?
• Who is the authorized signatory for capital project approvals and change orders?
• Is contractor prequalification required, including insurance, bonding, and references? Options: Yes, No
• Which deliverables do you expect at CapEx project handover (for example certificate of substantial completion and as-built drawings)?

Administer Vendor Invoices and Expense Reconciliation

• How frequently do you want vendor invoices reconciled to the general ledger (for example weekly or monthly)? Options: Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly
• Is three-way matching between purchase orders, invoices, and work orders required? Options: Yes, No
• What expense coding chart of accounts should we use for vendor invoice entries?
• Is electronic invoice delivery enabled and are preferred payment terms documented with major vendors? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• Who on your finance team reconciles utilities and recharges common area costs to tenants?

Enforce Lease Terms and Collect Rent

• What rent collection methods do you currently use for tenants (for example ACH, online portal, lockbox)? Options: ACH, Online portal, Lockbox, Other
• Is there an existing delinquency policy with notice templates and grace periods? Options: Yes, Partial, No
• Which lease enforcement actions are authorized without prior owner approval (for example late fee application or lockout)?
• What percentage of tenants pay via recurring ACH or auto-pay currently? Options: 0-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 76-100%
• Do you want financial reporting that ties rent collection to occupancy KPIs and monthly expense variances? Options: Yes, No

Coordinate Move-In/Move-Out Turnovers and Repairs

• What standard punch-list items must be completed before a unit is returned to market (for example repainting, carpet cleaning, lock rekeying)?
• Typical monthly turnover count across the portfolio? Options: None, 1-5, 6-20, 21+
• Who approves repair estimates that exceed the standard turnover allowance?
• Are turnkey move-in cleaning and key handover included in turnover scope? Options: Yes, No, Optional add-on
• Which evidence do you typically collect to close a turnover ticket (for example tenant signed move-in condition form and photos)?

Provide Emergency Response and After-Hours Dispatch

• What after-hours emergency contact number or escalation list should be used for urgent tenant calls?
• Is an on-call vendor roster with guaranteed response times required for fire alarm, water intrusion, or HVAC failures? Options: Yes, No
• Which emergency response SLAs should be published to tenants (for example 2-hour critical response, 4-hour high priority)? Options: 2-hour critical / 4-hour high, 4-hour critical / 24-hour high, Custom
• Who is authorized to approve emergency expenditures above the operating limit?
• Is incident reporting with root cause analysis required for major after-hours events? Options: Yes, No

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW) — Transition & Stabilization
• Service Levels & Performance Benchmarks (SLA)
• Commercial Terms & Fee Schedule
• Handover & Acceptance Criteria
• Records Transfer Annex
• Vendor Contract Handover & Assignment Authorization

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• 90-Day Acceptance Gate and Incumbent Wind-down
• Quarterly Success Review (ongoing)

• Schedule targeted tenant satisfaction outreach for buildings showing declining scores.
• Initiate targeted tenant outreach for buildings with declining satisfaction and document responses.
• Compile vendor contract change proposals and timelines for any agreed renegotiations.
• Restate acceptance criteria and targets
• Document a clear acceptance decision against each numeric target recorded in Management Scope & Responsibilities.
• Verify the incumbent environment is decommissioned or formally retained read-only and confirm data migration or archival status.
• Agree remediation tasks and deadlines for any unmet acceptance criteria to close the loop.
• Publish the acceptance record showing pass/fail per criterion and the named signatory or designated owner.
• Log and assign remediation tasks for failed criteria with explicit completion dates and evidence requirements.
• Execute incumbent decommission checklist and publish confirmation of archived/migrated data and access changes.
• Update the shared transition folder with final vendor handover documents and on-site staff assignments.
• Performance versus targets
• Confirm whether occupancy rate and tenant satisfaction are meeting the ongoing targets recorded in Management Scope & Responsibilities.
• Ensure remediation items are progressing to resolution and remove any blockers to closure.
• Prioritize and schedule high-impact improvement requests that affect occupancy or operating costs.
• Publish the quarterly performance pack with metric exports and trend analyses to the shared workspace.
• Update the issue tracker with progress notes and reassign or escalate any stalled remediation tasks.
• Create a prioritized list of improvement requests with proposed timelines and resource estimates.
• Re-confirm scope and success criteria
• Confirm the deployment items listed in Management Scope & Responsibilities are complete or have owners and dates for completion.
• Identify and assign owners for all high-priority go-live blockers.
• Ensure tenant access and basic adoption signals are present or have remediation plans.
• Publish a go-live health summary to the shared workspace with status by ownership and due dates.
• Update the open-issue tracker with owners and target completion dates for all blockers discussed.
• Schedule tenant meet-and-greet sessions or confirm existing session dates and attendee list.
• Verify tenant portal user accounts and escalate any access failures for immediate remediation.
• Present first measurement data
• Establish whether occupancy rate and tenant satisfaction score are trending toward the targets in Management Scope & Responsibilities.
• Identify root causes for any underperformance and document a corrective action plan with owners and due dates.
• Confirm data sources and reporting cadence for the 90-day acceptance gate.
• Publish the first-measurement dashboard and data export used in the meeting to the shared workspace.
• Create and assign corrective action tasks with clear deliverables and target dates in the issue tracker.
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Open issue and remediation progress
• Deployment and handover validation
• Diagnose gaps and root causes
• Pass/fail determination and documented decision
• Early adoption and operational signals
• Tenant feedback and service quality
• Review tenant feedback and service tickets
• Agree corrective actions and owners
• Incumbent wind-down verification
• Blockers and open issues
• Operational cost and vendor review
• Immediate remediation actions
• Confirm timeline to the acceptance gate
• Prioritize improvement requests
• Remediation plan for any failed criteria
• Wrap-up and next steps
• Tenant communication check