Key Takeaways
01Michigan management fees range from $199/month flat (consulting) to 22-30% of gross revenue (full service).
02The percentage alone is misleading — compare total cost including cleaning, maintenance, and vendor costs.
03A 25% fee that generates $85K in revenue nets you more than 0% on $50K self-managed.
04Ask what's included. "Full service" means different things to different companies.
Management fees in Michigan range widely depending on the service model, the company, and what’s included. Here’s what you’ll encounter:
Consulting/coaching ($150-300/month flat fee): You get expert guidance — listing audits, pricing strategy, monthly calls — but you do the work. Our Foundations tier is $199/month. Best for self-managing owners who want professional direction without full management.
Marketing-only (8-12% of revenue): Companies like Evolve handle listing, bookings, and guest messaging. You handle cleaning, maintenance, and operations. The fee is low because the service is limited.
Full-service (18-30% of revenue): Everything handled — listing optimization, pricing, guest communication, cleaning coordination, maintenance, financial reporting, and compliance. Fee varies by tier and property revenue. Higher-revenue properties typically negotiate lower percentages.
Commission + flat fee hybrids: Some managers charge a monthly flat fee plus a smaller commission percentage. Others charge different rates for different seasons.
A 20% fee and a 28% fee aren’t directly comparable without knowing what each includes. Manager A charges 20% but bills cleaning, photography, maintenance coordination, technology fees, and seasonal deep cleaning separately — total additional costs: $12,000-18,000/year. Manager B charges 28% and includes everything except vendor invoices. The 20% fee might actually cost more.
When comparing managers, calculate your total annual cost: management fee + all separately billed items. Then compare net revenue: total revenue minus total costs. The manager with the lower fee isn’t necessarily the one that puts more money in your pocket.
Fee comparisons that ignore revenue differences are meaningless. The relevant comparison isn’t “which manager charges less” — it’s “which manager leaves me with more.”
The math: Self-managed at $50,000/year, you keep $50,000. Manager A at 20% generates $60,000 — you keep $48,000. Manager B at 28% generates $85,000 — you keep $61,200. Manager B has the highest fee and produces the highest net income. The fee is irrelevant. The net is everything.
We offer four tiers designed for different owner needs: Foundations ($199/month consulting), Essentials (14-22% — core management), Growth (18-26% — active optimization), and Performance (22-30% — full optimization with included add-ons). No setup fees. No hidden charges. Revenue-based fees only charged on actual earnings.
The range within each tier reflects property-specific factors: revenue level, location, property complexity, and owner involvement. Higher-revenue properties negotiate toward the lower end. Every owner receives a specific fee quote based on their property assessment — not a one-size-fits-all percentage.
What exactly is included in the fee? (Get a line-item list.) What’s billed separately? How is the fee calculated — gross revenue, net revenue, before or after cleaning fees? What’s the minimum commitment? What are the exit terms? And most importantly: what revenue do you project for my property, and what will I net after your fee? The answer to that last question is the only number that matters.
The cheapest manager is rarely the cheapest option. The most expensive manager is rarely the most expensive option. Do the full math.
ROAM Revenue Team
Related Guide
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