A plumbing contractor who answers on the second ring at 11 PM, because the property manager treated him like a partner, not a vendor.
Your vendor relationships are part of your operational infrastructure. Treat them accordingly.
Operators who squeeze vendors on price, pay late, and communicate only when something goes wrong are building a fragile supply chain that fails precisely when the property and the resident can least afford it.
The contractors, suppliers, and service partners who show up fastest, quote most honestly, and solve problems with the most creativity are the ones who feel invested in the property’s success. That investment is built through respect, reliability, and relationship.
Vendors connected to the property are one of the most important sources of ground-level operational intelligence available to any asset manager or regional director, and that intelligence flows freely only through relationships built well before the emergency.
He answered on the second ring at 11 PM. The leak was resolved before midnight. The resident did not lose a night of sleep. That relationship was worth more than the emergency service rate. Build it before you need it.
Vendors treated as partners perform like partners. Vendors treated as commodities perform like commodities. Choose deliberately. — Mike Brewer
Reach out to one key vendor this week with no ask, just to acknowledge the quality of their work and the value of the relationship.