Vendor Partnerships Protect Profits and Preserve Peace

By Lynn Kreher

When you're in the property ownership and management business, a key to your success involves building invaluable, long-term vendor partnerships. In fact, experts say that vendor partnerships are the backbone of property management success. These partnerships allow owners to get better pricing, negotiate discounts, and create more favorable terms and conditions. Trusted partners can suggest improved or new alternatives to save money on things like routine maintenance, landscaping or even upgrades to the property's interior. In the end, the company's bottom line increases, and everyone, including the vendors, wins.

Erica Fernwood of the Fernwood Team, said, "We greatly expanded the number of properties we can sell each month and reduced the time to market. Also, with a low-friction delivery process, our biggest source of new clients are referrals from existing clients. We make our vendors' lives easier and ensure they make a lot of money through volume. We handle all client interaction so they can focus on what they do best. We also consult with our vendors, to help them grow their businesses. In 2017, I standardized all renovation components, which keeps costs lower and gives clients a real advantage. Because I have the right resources and skills in place, I know exactly which vendor to bring in for each task. This takes the guesswork out of the process and removes extra decisions for my clients."

The real advantage it's brought to my business is that it makes it much more seamless to buy and sell properties in markets where I have those relationships," said Martin Orefice, CEO, Rent to Own Labs. 

"Knowing I can just slot in a landscaping team makes it much easier to go ahead with big purchases. When I find a vendor I can work with in a city where I know I'll have properties for a while, I do everything I can to stick with them."

"We’ve observed that the most effective property managers and leasing firms treat vendor relationships as strategic assets," said Noah Albers, director of business development, AdvancedCB.com. "Typically, they start with a short-term pilot or trial period, often running multiple vendors in parallel, and then evaluate who produces the best results. It’s a smart approach. Many of our long-term clients began by testing us alongside another agency, and ultimately chose to stay with us.

"As a vendor to property managers and rental housing owners, we deeply value long-term partnerships," continued Albers. "From our side of the relationship, the most successful outcomes in debt recovery come from working closely over time with our clients, getting to know their communities, internal processes, and goals. That kind of relationship-building allows us to become a true extension of their team, not just a vendor providing a one-off service.

RELIABLE, RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS

However, the value comes not just from increased revenue through savings, but also increases reliability and responsiveness to every issue, including emergencies or urgent situations. You never know when plumbing might break and leak, HVAC quits working, or electrical issues pop up. Reliable vendors are often available right away and responsive. Owners don't have to do research, ask around, or arbitrarily pick a business. And, it works both ways to benefit everyone. 

"When a vendor relationship is strong, the results compound over time," explained Albers. "For example, by partnering long-term, we're able to refine recovery strategies that are specific to each property, track performance trends, and adapt to changing resident demographics. This reduces bad write-offs and increases recovered revenue. In some cases, we've helped property managers cut their delinquency losses in half year over year, simply by aligning more closely with their internal team and goals.

"Long-term partnerships also reduce the time staff spend managing vendors. When there’s trust and proven results, property managers can focus more on leasing and resident experience instead of constantly shopping for services or putting out fires."

"I absolutely form long-term partnerships, but my criteria focuses on shared commitment to the property's long-term value rather than just lowest bid," said David Brabant, owner, Creative Edge Pools. "I look for property managers who understand that proper pool maintenance prevents $15,000-30,000 emergency renovations down the line.

"One apartment complex I work with has saved over $80,000 in major repairs over five years simply because we established a proactive maintenance schedule from day one," continued Brabant. "The partnership results go beyond cost savings -- properties with well-maintained pools and outdoor areas rent 40% faster in my experience. One property management client saw their pool-adjacent units go from problem rentals to premium units after we redesigned their entire outdoor space. Renters now specifically request those units and stay longer because the outdoor environment feels like a resort amenity. My approach is being completely transparent about seasonal needs and emergency response capabilities upfront. I give property partners my direct cell and guarantee 24-hour response for safety issues, but I'm also honest about what constitutes a real emergency versus routine maintenance that can wait."

"Our standardization and economies of scale reduces costs and brings properties to market faster," added Fernwood. "Our client relationships and volume enables our vendors to focus on what they do best while we handle all the client interaction and make sure they’re well taken care of. For most of our core vendors, we’re their largest source of business, and we also consult with them to help grow their business.

"We expanded our business significantly without adding more team members," Fernwood continued. "Because of our ongoing relationships and the volume of work we provide, our vendors have a genuine interest in seeing our clients succeed. In summary, our processes and specialized vendors allow us to provide clients with a complete solution."

Lynn Kreher is a Bay Area writer. This article was featured in the Nov/Dec 2025 Issue of Rental Housing Magazine.