Full-Service Property Management Company Serving the Emerald Coast
70 years of real estate experience - Our team has seen it all in the industry. We are used to dealing with the ever-changing rental market and maximizing your property's return on investment.
Networks & relationships - We have spent years building relationships with contractors and vendors in the Emerald Coast. This helps us deliver a more seamless experience for you as an owner.
Full video on how Rob Brooks Realty manages properties
Our System for Long-Term Rentals
Our Property Management team is here to serve you and our goal is to make every owner's experience enjoyable and seamless. Trust and reliability are extremely important traits in a quality property management team. Our services have been developed into a comprehensive system to help our owners:
Manage the Property
We perform the following services when managing a property:
Maintenance & Emergency Situations - Manage normal maintenance and emergency situations.
Preventative Maintenance - Schedule and oversee preventative maintenance issues.
Maintain List of Ventors - Maintain a list of contractors & vendors with a positive track record of honesty and customer service.
Oversee Vendor Work - Manage vendor/contractor response times and oversee all work.
Handle Repairs - Order repairs if estimates are below a pre-determined dollar amount, or call the owner with an estimate if above.
Monthly Roadside Surveys - Perform monthly roadside surveys to ensure the property exterior is well-kept.
Monthly Email Updates - Send monthly email updates regarding the property including pictures taken of the property.
Manage the Money
We want our owners to feel at ease and confident in every transaction with their rental property. Our services help establish this confidence when it comes to the money.
Escrow Account - Create and maintain the owner's Escrow Account.
Send Owner Rental Funds - Immediately send owner rental funds (EFT) when rent payment processes and maintain excess company funds in the account to prevent insufficient funds to the owner as a result of a tenant's check bouncing.
Reporting - End-of-year reports and Cash Flow Statements for tax preparation.
Rent Collection Procedures - Establish rent collection procedures including online portal services for tenants and late notices.
Manage the Tenants
Having the right tenant for your rental property is vital and we strive to find the highest-quality tenants in the area. Our goal is to produce the best tenants for your property.
Marketing the Property - Post listing to the MLS and other listing services, including Zillow. We also post the listing on our website.
Showing the Property - Our team members personally show your property.
Screening the Applicant - Establish a 3-step screening process for all tenants: (1) Comprehensive Phone Screening to determine possible in-person interview. (2)In-Person Interview in which we verify employment and proof of income. (3) Background Checks that include credit & criminal history, previous rental history, and past eviction reports. We then contact the owner to discuss recommended applicants for the property and review all information gathered from the screening process.
Move-In Procedures - Supply a Florida Association of Realtors attorney-endorsed lease for signature by the owner and tenant. Collect security deposits and require the transfer of utilities. Perform extensive move-in inspection and turn over keys to new tenants.
Testimonials from Property Owners
"Excellent work ethic, clear contracts, communicates efficiently and on a timely manner. From listed to rented in 10 days! Highly recommend it!" Susana Homeowner
"I have known Rob Brooks for over 20 years. He is one of the most honest, hardworking, Christ-like people I know. He has managed houses and business property for us and we have never had an issue with him or his management style. He will go out of his way to make sure everything goes smoothly for his clients. Thanks, Rob, for your excellent service to our community!" Jenny Homeowner
"Handled my rental home for 3 years with ease. We had great renters! When ready to sell it, Rob sold it in 6 days and we had 2 offers to choose from. Rob Brooks is excellent!" Luke Homeowner
Our Property Management team is led by Michael Gregg and Rob Brooks. Together, they lean on extensive professional experience in real estate sales, property management, and investment properties. Michael has a background in law enforcement, business administration, and healthcare emergency management. He has served on several committees within the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors (ECAR). Rob is the founder and owner of Rob Brooks Realty and has been licensed since 1994. He carries CRB, CRS, SRS, CRETS, RENE, and GRI certifications.
Process for Getting a Rental Home on the Market
Having the right tenant for your rental property is vital and we strive to find the highest-quality tenants in the area. Our goal is to produce the best tenants for your property.
Photos - We order a professional photo shoot of the property.
List property on MLS listings (including RobBrooksRealty.com) - Images and property descriptions go out to hundreds of different sites (including Zillow, Rent.com, and Realtor.com).
Manage rental inquiries - Calls, emails, and text messages flow in from interested parties. When a property first hits the market, we can get up to 10-12 contacts per day, but the volume varies with location.
Vetting - We put prospective tenants through a thorough vetting process. We inform them of rent requirements and see whether they qualify. (We don't want people walking into your property if it's just not a good fit.)
Showing property - As it works with the tenants' schedule, our staff does a walk-through. We also use the tour as an opportunity to get a feel for the tenants. Our staff can also do 3D tours and Facetime tours in cases where an in-person tour is not feasible.
Application - We send an application to the interested party to complete. We then do a tenant screening, income verification, ID check, rental history check, collect a completed pet application, pull credit history, criminal history, and eviction proceedings.
Owner contacted - Our staff calls you as the owner, to let you know and application has been completed. We will give you a complete rundown, and you get to decide whether to accept. Sometimes there are multiple applications, allowing you to choose from the best.
Rent & fees collected - One month's rent, security deposit, and pet fee (when applicable) are all collected from the tenant.
Move-in - We contact the tenant to see what time they can move into the property. We also verify proof of utilities being transferred into their name. If we need to collect checks, we meet with them at the property. If they've paid online, we give them a code to the lockbox.
Inspections - There are a couple of types of inspections. The move-in/move-out inspection is when we go in and do a thorough inspection of each room, and everything is documented. The 6-month inspection is done every six months, where we go inside the property to take a few pictures and observe the condition of the property as it is being lived in. There is also a lease renewal inspection if a tenant is re-upping for next year. We use professional software called Happy Inspector, which allows each inspection to be very comprehensive.
Drive By Surveys - We do a drive-by survey of every property, every month.
Cities Served by Rob Brooks Property Management
From the pristine beaches of Destin to the charming city of Pensacola, Rob Brooks Property Management serves a wide range of communities across the western Florida Panhandle. We're proud to offer our expertise to property owners in:
The tenant gives all information about their pet: type, breed, rabies shots, and color. They are charged a nonrefundable $350 fee, per pet. This protects both Rob Brooks Realty and property owners. We want to make sure the risk profile is analyzed and that we have all the information on that specific pet.
How long is a property vacant?
As of 2024, the average vacancy is less than a month. This varies from neighborhood to neighborhood.
What is collected upfront from a tenant?
Pet fee ($350), one month's rent, and security deposit.
What does the onboarding process look like with a property owner?
We meet with the owner and look at the property to ensure it's a good candidate for property management. (Is the property up to a certain level of maintenance? What does ongoing maintenance look like?) Once we come to an agreement with the owner, we get it on the market quickly.
What contractors and vendors do you use?
We have bonded and insured contractors and vendors to help protect the property owner. These contractors and vendors must have several key traits:
Maintain a good track record with Rob Brooks Realty
Demonstrate honesty in past work
Workmanship has been high quality
Prices charged are fair
Good vendors are difficult to find, and we have a shortage of good workers in our area. Our maintenance is completed by independent contractors. None of the maintenance staff is employed directly by Rob Brooks Realty, in an effort to keep things above board.
How many years has Rob Brooks Realty been in the business?
We started in 2008 and our first clients used our property management services.
How many properties do we manage?
As of this writing, we manage over 70 properties. This number fluctuates. We've been on a growing trend since 2008.
How do you advertise your management services?
We've done nearly zero billboard advertising. We just have people talking about us, leading to word-of-mouth referrals.
What types of owners do you work with?
Some owners are "accidental" landlords. Maybe they are moving out of the area, but want to keep their current home as an investment property. The majority of our clients are military members. We also have several investors who keep their property under management with us. Most of our clients, however, are first-time landlords.
How quickly do property owners get paid?
Our lease policy states that tenants pay on the first day of every month. As soon as the money comes in, it takes a little time to clear our accounts (to verify the money has been received). Usually, it's by the seventh business day of the month when owners get paid.
How often does Rob Brooks Realty communicate with owners?
We communicate at least once a month. We deliver the outside inspection photo, confirm the money has been sent to your account, etc. A monthly report is also delivered, which includes a breakdown of income and expenses.
What is involved with maintenance?
When things like the water heater break down, we get urgent calls at the craziest hours, including at night and early in the morning. It's our job to calm down the tenant and provide a solution. Michael Gregg does a great job of working with the tenants in this area (sometimes, we are even able to troubleshoot issues over the phone to prevent an unnecessary maintenance call). When an appliance needs to be replaced, we will help you select a good option that fits the budget and reliability necessary for a rental property. Our team even filmed a video on our process for maintaining a property. Check it out!
How are vendors paid?
We have a spending limit of $350 for repairs. If a maintenance request is below $350, we won't contact you and we will take care of the issue (this is done to prevent a return call and additional fees). We pay vendors immediately. The best vendors tend to gravitate toward those who pay them the fastest.
How do we maintain good tenant relationships?
Bottom line: the tenants are staying in your property. We want to be on good terms as much as possible and want them to "like", respect, and appreciate us. Sometimes we need to speak hard truths to this tenant, including holding a hard and fast rule on on-time payment.
What does the process of negotiating a lease renewal look like?
Due to markets, this can change quite a bit. Rent prices are set based on what the market can currently hold for the specific neighborhood. We contact the tenant and the owner about 4-5 weeks in advance and ensure there is interest on both sides to renew the lease and explain the process. We send over a one-page form with the terms of the lease renewal agreement, which is then signed by all parties. There are no lease renewal fees.
How are security deposits handled?
When deposits come in, they are held in a non-interest-bearing account, separate from all other monies. This cannot be touched by the landlord, tenant, or property management until the lease ends. We take a look at the inspection report and see if there are damages. Our hope is to get the entire deposit back to the tenant, but sometimes this is not possible.
How many evictions have you had and how are they handled?
Everyone has nightmare stories when it comes to evictions, but we have been very fortunate. We've only had two evictions since we started in 2008. We attribute this to our thorough vetting process and God's grace. Evictions are paid for by Rob Brooks Realty. We have attorneys and we take care of this cost.
What tax information is provided to property owners?
Every year, we provide a report of income and expenses. This makes it easy for you or your accountant to transfer the information to the appropriate IRS form.
How are appliance issues dealt with?
We take pictures of all of the appliance numbers before a tenant moves in. This allows us to have intel into whether it makes more sense to repair or replace a unit, based on the model number, cost of parts, year built, etc.