These may sound like the kind of come-ons that you tune out when you hear them on the radio or TV, but, surprisingly, they’re actually more reality-based than not. Whether you're buying a Plano property for its rental potential, or preparing to turn a currently-owned property into an income-producer, the game plan is straightforward. Locate a suitable Plano property: one with the rental potential to create cash flow either as income, or to build real estate equity…or both!

So what’s the catch?

In fact, there is one. Becoming a successful landlord has more to it than spotting an appropriate Plano property and sitting back, waiting for someone to nail up an ‘Easy Street’ sign. In order to make the most of the opportunity a Plano rental property represents, you need to either already have, or develop, a requisite set of skills. Chief among them:

1. The relationship between landlord and tenant, and landlord and the tradespeople he hires, should be purposefully professional. Your tenants may also be fellow Plano residents (or even neighbors), yet skillfully establishing and maintaining an amiable yet businesslike relationship takes dexterity and finesse. Substituting an overly personal relationship instead of the more proper businesslike one can result in counterproductive consequences…like tardy rent payments or superfluous demands.

2. As much as any other business, successful landlords are usually ‘people people’: they don’t shy away from interactions on a face-to-face basis. Whether it’s dealing with renters’ concerns, interviewing potential tenants, or handling the personnel who help maintain a Plano property, great landlords have great leadership skills. They have the knack of bringing positive energy to everyday dealings. Good landlords exhibit authority without being overbearing, and they allow their tenants to feel the right degree of investment in what is their home, if only temporarily.

3. It may seem as if turning a property into an income-producer is an extremely simple task, but in fact it takes organizational skills to accomplish it efficiently. There are laws that have to be observed, and documentation to be maintained. People who cultivate clarity in such matters are nicely suited to the demands of running a rental property.

4. There are unavoidable time availability demands that mustn’t be ignored. A tenant with a maintenance emergency needs to have it addressed. Now. It’s one thing that even the most people-oriented, organizationally proficient business titan should be prepared to attend to without delay.

But suppose you lack some (or even all) of these traits? Should you just walk away from a Plano property—even after you’ve spotted one you know has great potential? Actually, there is a Plan B, which is to hire a property manager—a professional practiced in all the requisite skills.