Nikki Wilson
We sat down with Women to Women Network member Nikki Wilson, owner of NJW Property Management LLC, and here’s what she had to say…
Who are your clients/customers?
Single and small multi-family investment owners, people who want information on how to deal with their rentals, people who want someone to take over the management of the property. I hear quite frequently from owners who call after they have tried doing it themselves and have come to realize they really need the help of a professional management company—that’s the kind of person I work for.
How do you help your clients/customers?
We end up being a mediator between the owner and the tenant. I actually prefer to put in my own tenants, but if I am managing a property with an inherited tenant, I make sure the tenant knows the owner is no longer taking care of the property, and that they should come to us, not the owner for all issues related to the property. We want the tenants to know we are there to take care of them and we will do everything that needs to be done. And if a tenant has a problem either with something we are doing or not doing, we want them to know they can tell us so we can try and take care of it.
We will work within the confines of the rules we are given by the property owner, as well as state laws, and we will try and make sure both the owner and the tenants have a good understanding of what can and cannot be done.
We really try to make sure the tenants are taken care of, which also ensures the owners are taken care of. So that’s how we work with our owners, buy making sure that their properties are taken care of in a way that they are happy with.
What brought you to this line of work?
It has been a long journey! I have been everything from a blue-collar worker running an offset press all the way to an office manager working for an executive suite, which is how I was introduced to property management. I had to assume the role of a property manager as I was in charge of leasing offices and serving tenants. The owner of that particular complex I was working at asked me to get my manager’s license, so I did! From there it was just a natural progression to residential property management, which I thoroughly enjoy.
What brings you the most joy in your business?
I just love doing what I do. And I love being my own boss running my own business. NJW Property Management is actually my second business. My first business was an executive assistant / virtual assistant business, but it was too hands-on and too much data entry for my liking. With NJW Property Management, I have found I really enjoy the conversations I can have with my clients and their tenants. I also enjoy learning. Portland and the state have complex rules around property management and owner/tenant rights, and the state vs. local rules are not always in alignment. I just love being able to clearly explain the rules to my owners and help them understand why they can or cannot do something. I probably should have been a lawyer or a teacher, but I ended up a property manager and I think I have gotten the best of both. I get to learn the contracts and the laws, and I get to share this knowledge and teach my owners. I just love what I do!
What defines you/your business?
We are different. We care about our tenants and want to keep them happy and we do that by being very responsive to their needs. When a tenant files a maintenance report or a complaint of some sort, we try to respond immediately to resolve the issue or take care of repairs as quickly as possible. Being responsive is just better business and more cost-effective as it helps minimize tenant turnover. Our owners don’t really understand that until they start working with us and realize they are not getting the tenant complaints like they may have been used to. Happy tenets equal happy owners! So we really focus on good communication with our tenants and just being there for them. As a result, 95% of our tenants pay in full and on time—even during Covid!
What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business?
NJW wants to be a different kind of property management firm than what most owners and tenants have traditionally experienced. We care and we want to show it. And we want to keep it as simple as possible for both the tenant and the owner. Why should property management be difficult? We want to make it simple and we want to be there for the people who really shouldn’t do it themselves. We’re very passionate about what we do.