How to Choose a Property Manager in Hurghada

Write the service brief before requesting a quote

List the tasks you need and their frequency. For an occasionally used home, that might mean scheduled inspections, ventilation arrangements, checking for visible leaks, coordinating cleaning and preparing the apartment before arrival. For a rental home, the brief may also cover enquiries, bookings, guest communication, check-in, cleaning changeovers and issue resolution. Do not assume a manager’s standard package covers both.

State the property’s location, size, equipment, access arrangements and intended periods of owner use. Identify services handled by building management so the two roles do not overlap or leave gaps. Ask each candidate to respond to the same brief with included tasks, exclusions and separately charged services. Comparable proposals begin with comparable instructions.

Compare the full fee structure

Ask for every charge: fixed fees, percentage fees, setup, inspection visits, cleaning, laundry, maintenance coordination, call-outs, key handling and any markup on contractors. For percentage fees, establish the calculation base. Is the percentage applied before or after platform charges, discounts, refunds or other deductions? A low headline percentage can still produce a higher total bill.

Use one hypothetical month to compare proposals. For example, assume an illustrative EGP 30,000 in booking receipts, one repair and two cleaning changeovers, then ask each manager to show every deduction and the owner’s balance. This is a comparison exercise, not a rental-income estimate. Repeat with a month without bookings to reveal fixed costs that remain when revenue stops.

Ask to see the owner report before signing

Request a redacted sample statement rather than a promise of regular updates. It should let you reconcile bookings or rent received, dates, deductions, invoices, refunds and the amount transferred to you. Ask how frequently reports are issued, when funds are settled and how discrepancies are resolved. Personal information belonging to other owners or guests should be removed from samples.

For a non-rental home, a useful report still records the inspection date, observations, photographs where appropriate, actions taken and outstanding work. Agree what counts as an urgent issue and how it is communicated. A sequence of reassuring messages is not the same as a record that lets you understand the condition and cost of your property over time.

Set repair authority and emergency limits

Agree which work requires your approval and whether the manager can authorise limited urgent action to prevent further damage. Set a clear spending limit appropriate to the arrangement, a contact sequence and the evidence required afterwards. Do not choose a universal amount from a generic guide; the property, risks and your availability should inform the agreement.

Ask how contractors are selected, whether multiple quotes are obtained for substantial work and whether the manager receives any commission or markup. Require an itemised invoice and photographs where useful. Distinguish arranging a repair from guaranteeing the contractor’s work, and ask who follows up if a fault returns. Ensure technical or safety-critical work is assigned to appropriately qualified people.

Protect keys, access and personal information

Ask who holds physical keys, who can copy them, how access is logged and what happens if a key or card is lost. For electronic access, agree who controls the administrator account and how credentials are changed between users or at the end of the contract. Keep owner control of essential accounts where the arrangement allows it.

Request a process for contractors entering an occupied or unoccupied home and for notifying you of access. Clarify how identity information, booking details and property records are stored and shared. A manager should not need unrestricted access to unrelated personal accounts. At handover, use a contents inventory so that both parties know what equipment and furnishings they are taking responsibility for.

Test rental operations with scenarios, not promises

If the service includes rentals, ask what happens when a guest arrives late, an air conditioner fails, a booking is cancelled or damage is discovered after departure. Who answers, who can approve a refund and what evidence is retained? Ask how owner stays are blocked out and whether pricing changes require approval or follow an agreed policy.

Request permission-based references from owners with a similar type of home and service requirement. Discuss response quality and reporting, not just headline occupancy. Review any income projection against its assumptions and costs. Our realistic rental-income guide explains why booked revenue and money retained by the owner are different figures. No manager’s projection should be treated as a guaranteed return unless the actual agreement provides a separately reviewed commitment.

Plan the exit before the relationship starts

Read the term, renewal process, notice period, termination charges and treatment of existing bookings. Ask what happens to listings, photographs, reviews, account access, keys, deposits and unsettled funds when you leave. Some platform assets may be tied to the operator’s account; clarify that position before assuming they can be transferred.

Agree a final inspection, inventory reconciliation and delivery of records. Ask your independent adviser to review the agreement, especially authority to act, liability, insurance and dispute handling. A clear exit process is not a sign of mistrust. It reduces the cost and disruption of changing arrangements if your use of the home or the service quality changes.

Your manager-selection checklist

Choose the proposal that gives you a complete, understandable operating plan at a transparent cost. If you are still choosing a home, tell Harmony Properties how you intend to use and manage it so that access, storage and practical servicing questions enter the property shortlist early. Property selection and management selection should support the same plan, but a suitable apartment does not automatically come with a suitable management contract.

• Same written brief used for every proposal.
• All fees and calculation bases disclosed.
• Sample reporting, repair approvals and access controls reviewed.
• Relevant references checked with permission.
• Contract, insurance and exit arrangements independently reviewed.