DO NOT waste your time with this company!
We moved about an hour and a half away from our property and decided it would be best to hire a professional property management company to handle the listing and management of our beautiful home. After researching companies, reading online reviews, and going through the initial screening process, we decided to go with Utopia.
And so began the nightmare.
Our experience with Vanessa was, without question, one of the most unprofessional experiences I have ever had.
It started with a very confident assessment of what our property should be listed for. The price she recommended ended up being well above what the market would support. Looking back, it certainly felt like the high rental estimate helped convince us to sign the contract. After that, nearly every Monday when we checked in, we heard the same recommendation: “My suggestion is to drop the rent $100.”
Utopia had our property listed for approximately 3½ months before we finally had enough and canceled the contract. During that entire period, we received fewer than 10 inquiries and had only 2 showings—one of which was a neighbor who simply wanted to see the renovations.
The difference after we took over was unbelievable.
Once we began managing and advertising the property ourselves, we averaged approximately 10 inquiries per day, showed the home at least 20 times, and found a qualified renter within 2 weeks.
That experience alone told us everything we needed to know.
What made the situation even worse was the lack of communication and accountability. When things weren’t going well, Vanessa seemed to disappear. Getting clear answers was difficult, and instead of taking responsibility for the lack of results, we were repeatedly given excuses.
We hired a property management company because we lived 1½ hours away and wanted professionals to make the process easier—not harder. Instead, we lost more than three months of potential rental income and ultimately had to take over the process ourselves to get results.
Based on our experience, I absolutely cannot recommend Utopia or Vanessa. If I could give less than one star, I would.
Stay far, far away. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, PEOPLE!!