Your property manager IS your investment in DR

You can pick the best unit in the best building. If your management is bad, your yields are bad. The management decision is roughly as consequential as the purchase decision. Here's how serious investors evaluate managers.

The eight questions to ask every manager

1. How many units do you currently manage?

Sweet spot: 30-80 units. Below 30, they may not have process maturity. Above 100, your unit becomes a number and personal attention drops.

2. What's your average annual occupancy?

Honest answer: 65-78% for short-term in Punta Cana. If they say 85%+, they're either lying or measuring strangely (excluding off-season). Push for booking platform data.

3. What's your fee structure?

Standard: 20-25% of gross revenue for short-term, 8-12% for long-term. Beware of layered fees (booking fee + management fee + photography fee + minimum charge).

4. Can I see references from 3 current owners?

A good manager hands these over without hesitation. Call all three. Ask about their year-over-year occupancy and any conflicts.

5. How is owner reporting structured?

Monthly statements showing: bookings, gross revenue, deductions itemized, net to owner, and any maintenance issues. Best managers send these by the 10th of the following month.

6. What's your turnover process?

Specifically: who cleans (in-house or contractors?), what's the inspection checklist, how do you handle damage?

7. How do you handle the off-season?

Some managers actively work to boost off-season bookings via discounts, local marketing, longer-stay packages. Others let occupancy crater. Ask for a one-year occupancy graph by month.

8. What's included in HOA versus what's your service?

Some HOAs include cleaning, others don't. Some buildings have a captive manager (often subpar). Confirm what additional service the manager actually provides.

Four red flags

1. They want exclusivity longer than 12 months

A confident manager will agree to 12-month exclusivity with auto-renewal that you can cancel at the renewal point. Multi-year lock-ins favor the manager.

2. They want to set rates without your input

You should agree on minimum nightly rate, maximum discount tolerance, and any blackout periods. A manager who pushes back on this control wants flexibility to underprice your unit.

3. They handle owner funds themselves

Reputable managers either send your net monthly to your account directly OR hold funds in a separately-tracked escrow. A manager who keeps your money in their operating account is a future bankruptcy risk.

4. They don't have liability insurance

DR is increasingly litigious for guest injuries. A manager without insurance is exposing you. Confirm they have property manager liability coverage.

Specific managers we recommend

Vista Cabarete Realty has working relationships with 6 property managers across Punta Cana, Cabarete, Las Terrenas, and Santo Domingo. We don't take referral fees from any of them. Our recommendation is based on our buyers' actual occupancy and complaint rate over the past 24 months.

If you're shortlisting managers for a specific property, we'll tell you who we'd choose given your goals.