How property managers currently authorize towing
Most property managers who have a relationship with a tow company authorize tows the same way they always have — a phone call or text to the tow company saying there is a vehicle at their address that needs to be removed.\n\nThis informal authorization creates two problems. First, there is no automatic tracking of how many tows the property manager authorizes, making commission calculations manual and dispute-prone. Second, the authorization chain is only as reliable as the phone relationship — if the property manager changes or the tow company changes, the informal arrangement breaks down.\n\nA formal affiliate partnership through TowMarX solves both problems. The property manager gets a unique booking link for their property. When they authorize a tow by sending the link, the authorization and the referral are both tracked automatically.
The property manager affiliate link in practice
The property manager affiliate link is used differently than a body shop or mechanic shop link. Rather than sharing it with customers who need help, the property manager uses it to authorize and initiate towing jobs on their property.\n\nWhen the property manager identifies a vehicle that needs to be towed — an unauthorized parking violation, an abandoned vehicle, a maintenance-day restriction — they open the affiliate link and submit the tow request through it. The request is routed to the tow operator, the job is tracked, and the property manager commission for that authorization is logged.\n\nFor property managers overseeing multiple properties, each property can have its own affiliate link. This creates property-level tracking — the tow operator and the property management company can both see which property generated which jobs. See how property management towing programs work.
Commission considerations for property towing
Property towing commissions operate in a slightly different context than referral commissions from body shops or mechanic shops. The key distinction is that tows from private property are already subject to state regulations that govern fee structures and authorization requirements.\n\nIn most states, property towing fees are charged to the vehicle owner — not the property. A commission paid to the property manager from the tow operator is separate from the fees charged to the vehicle owner. Tow operators should confirm that property management commissions comply with any local regulations before establishing the commission structure.\n\nFor property management companies that oversee large portfolios with consistent monthly tow volume, the commission revenue can be meaningful — $25 per authorized tow at 20 tows per month across a 10-property portfolio is $5,000 per month in commission income tracked and managed automatically through TowMarX. See the full earning potential guide for towing referral partners.
Why property managers prefer the affiliate link approach
A property manager who has experienced the informal towing authorization process appreciates what a tracked affiliate link provides.\n\nDocumentation: Every tow authorized through the link creates an automatic record — who authorized it, when, and for which property. This documentation protects the property manager if a vehicle owner disputes the tow.\n\nVisibility: The property manager can see all authorizations and pending commissions in real time without calling the tow company for updates.\n\nAccountability: The tow operator sees exactly which property manager sent which jobs. Performance issues — slow response, documentation gaps — can be identified and addressed against specific job records rather than from memory. See how commercial property towing enforcement works.