An issue of staffing in property management

An issue of staffing in property management

By Hermione Gardiner

Over the last week I have been lucky enough spend some time on the west coast of Australia and one overarching frustration facing property management businesses (stretching from the east coast) appears to be staffing. There appears to be lack of quality property managers available, a high turnover. And from my conversations with some amazing people over the last week i’ve discovered an air of frustration around training someone up and then that person leaving the business or industry all together when they've only just begun.

Property management, the less glamourous sister of sales, requires not only an array of skills but also a tough skin. Property management is not for the faint hearted and even the successful experienced property managers i’ve been lucky enough to meet and work with along the way will admit its not an easy feat. However I still believe that the positives outweigh the negatives and as a profession it can also be rewarding, flexible, provides an environment where no two days are the same. It becomes a career and as an industry we are constantly looking to improve and better what we do which I love. 

A tough skin and a positive attitude towards the industry does come with time and experience, sadly however, not everyone is able to gain the time and experience, not everyone can get through the conflict and complaints, as we see many new starters leaving the industry they’ve just started in within the first year, or jumping ship looking for an easier option. 

I feel that we need to step back think how can we help and support these people into the industry to get the best start into property management. Give them a realistic picture but also the support and encouragement to get through. 

I believe that ongoing education, training and development is necessary to help this issue but also I think it is important for that new starter to have a better understanding of the big picture. An understanding about how the small admin tasks or routine inspections you are helping with fit into the big picture. An understanding of what it means if they do their job well, (what it means if they don’t), what their involvement means to the client and the business. And an understanding of whats involved in owning an investment property if they do not own one.

If we do this then perhaps we might start to breed a new generation of property managers who not only can stick it out to build up that tough skin, can build great relationships with our clients, but also become as passionate about property management as we have become. I’ll be looking into ways to support and help these new starters along the way in our next weekly webinar next week so a new starter can have the best opportunity for success and longevity in the industry and your business.