Chicago Property Management Blog

Chicago Property Management Software - While most property managers use off the shelf solutions like Appfolio, Buildium, and Propertyware GCR&D has taken that a step further. We do utilize Appfolio for their accounting and reporting system but we have built our own software that has allowed us to customize to our current process and modify as needed. Being able to see areas we can improve and tweak the software at the same time give...

Buying the Wrong House with Mark Ainley |Chicago Property Management | Chicago Real Estate Investing Mark Ainley has rehabbed and stabilized over 450 properties and currently manages more than 900 investment properties throughout the Chicagoland area. He appeared on CNBC and has been a guest on many real estate podcasts. Connect with Mark Ainley: http://www.gcrealtyinc.com Connect with Seth Ferguson: http://www.SethFerguson.org

Working in Chicago with Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) for section 8 tenants can be a very lucrative strategy for your investment portfolio. If you’re specifically a first time landlord to a section 8 program in Chicago, you’ll need to learn more about this process, especially if you are going to take your investment properties and generate income working with a HUD Housing Choice Voucher recipient. In addition, there are m...

I have had the unique opportunity as an owner of a property management company to lead the company’s new business division. That means I am on the front lines, talking every day with property owners and investors about our services. Early on, in the first 10 years of our company's existence, I wore the new business development hat along with about 20 other hats. In 2013, I replaced myself with another team member while I worke...

When talking with customers and investors, I often get asked what “GC” stands for and what the meaning behind our logo is. I will get into what “GC” represents in another article, but I wanted to share with you how we came up with our current logo and how it represents us as a company.History of GCR&D LogoOur company was originally established in 2003, and our current logo is just the second logo we have used...

Often when I speak with investors about property management, one of the first questions I get asked is, “how much are your fees?” I think that question quickly comes up in a conversation for two reasons:PRICE DRIVEN – maybe the investor is price driven, and they will go with whatever the lowest price is on the surface. That investor may not realize that he/she is possibly sacrificing hundreds or thousands of dollars in...

Should you hire a property manager? You're trying to decide if you should manage your own property or hire a professional property manager to do it for you. Some people are not that good at managing properties. That's a pretty common problem. They put the property on Craig's List and Facebook. They're not getting quality leads. Your tenants are constantly paying late and giving you every excuse on the book for why they c...

We're not the right Property Management company for everyone.We receive many inquiries into our business each day from people interested in our Chicagoland Property Management services. As it turns out,  we aren't good fits for most - a large majority, in fact - of these inquiries. Even if you have the right property in the right location, we totally understand that we may not be the best fit for you. In real...

Renting your home quickly is the best way to increase the return on your investment. Today we have some ideas to help you rent your home to the highest quality tenant in the shortest period of time.Pro-tips to rent your property quickerTake a look at the condition of your property. You want fresh paint, clean surfaces, well-manicured landscaping, and attention to detail both inside and outside of your property. Make sure the p...