We’re convinced, not all heroes wear capes; some are just busy managing properties for their Property Owners and tenants. 

The past sixteen (16) months must have been one of the most challenging times in the working history of property managers. Luckily, Tasmania is one of the states which recovered in the crisis more quickly than other states. During that trying time, property managers had to put some extra cheese and mustard on the sandwich to attend to the needs of their tenants and Property Owners simultaneously. In this uncertain season, one thing remains certain: Property Managers are one of the ‘unsung heroes’ during this pandemic.

Abbey Berry, Director of Property Management at 4one4 Property Co., shared how the first two months of this pandemic have been quite a challenging time. “Our legislation was constantly changing and we had so many tenants who did lose their jobs and couldn’t afford to pay their rents. We were doing lots of negotiating between owners and tenants. It was really quite difficult for the first two months of it,” she remembered.

Indeed, some renters were greatly hit by this pandemic especially in terms of job security and property owners needed to also cope with the situation leaving them with a financial blow. Caught in the middle, Property Managers tie the two parties together forming a knot of understanding and agreement. With such heroic efforts, Property Managers, indeed, have to be appreciated and celebrated! 

Kicked off last year, the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) initiated the celebration of the National Property Managers Day to recognise the sterling efforts of all residential and commercial property managers across Australia. After its resounding success last year, this year’s celebration will be pushed through on 23 July 2021 and guess what? All REIs will be participating (including REIT and our Team at 4one4!).

“It’s a nice day to be able to show appreciation to our Property Management staff and for them to be recognised in the office for all the hard work that they put in and to let them know that sometimes, it’s not the easiest job to do, but that hard work comes with great rewards,” Abbey stated.

Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) President, Adrian Kelly, also showed his support with this celebration. “The Property Managers are the ones who have worked in the background to find solutions as best they can in the current environment. This work is continuing as the pandemic is still prolific and especially as the non-eviction period comes to an end,” he said.

Hence, in celebration of the National Property Managers Day, we had a chance to talk with two (2) other staff from our Property Management Team: Grace, our Senior Portfolio Manager who’s turning 5 years in the field and Janaya, our Portfolio Consultant and the newest member of the department. Let’s get to know more about them and let’s see what they had to share about their job as property managers while giving us a clear overview of the industry.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Property Manager?

 

Grace: “Probably the relationship with the people that I deal with–our tenants and our owners. Getting to be in their lives is such a pleasure. I have a lot of tenants that are beautiful people and that makes me happy.“

 

Janaya: “I guess I like the broad range of work. I don’t feel like any day is the same. There’s always something new and challenging while you try to do other things. I also enjoy going out of the office, unlike with my previous jobs which got me stuck in my computer all day. It has that variety of getting out there, meeting new people, and improving my communication skills.” 

 

On the other side of the boat, what’s the most challenging part?

Grace: “I think the most challenging part of being a property manager is sitting in the middle between the owner and the tenant. We work for the owner, but we also have an obligation to the tenant. Sometimes, situations can get very tricky and we have to play the middle person with two sides.”

 

 

Janaya: “I guess, time management and figuring out your own sort of routine to make sure that you’re getting all the things you need to do. It’s finding what works best for you.”

 

 

What characteristics should a good Property Manager have?

 

Grace: “You need to have a lot of patience and you need to enjoy being around people because obviously, you’ll be having conversations with different people. Also, you shouldn’t be making your tenants feel uncomfortable when you’re going to their homes.”

 

Janaya: “You have be empathetic because sometimes, you’re dealing with tricky situations especially with COVID that has just occured and people are losing jobs and all that stuff. You have be confident in your ability to be that “meat in the sandwich” to keep everybody happy. You also need to have a bit of kindness and I guess, just be hardworking.”

 

What advice would you give to aspiring people who want to be Property Managers one day?

 

Grace: “I think it definitely helps to be a good employee. Respect anyone that is above you and just be yourself. Also, always ask questions. You better ask questions and know that you’re right or wrong than sit there and be wrong.”

 

 

Janaya: “Make sure that you have good communication skills and you know how to deal with conflicts. Know how to compromise because you need to deal with all those different parties.”

 

When asked if they see themselves working in the property management field in the next few years, without hesitations, they both answered a big “YES”. 

Everyone at 4one4 Property Co. is a witness of the hardwork and patience of all our property managers right from the beginning. On behalf of the whole team, here’s Abbey’s message for all the people behind the department:

“We appreciate everything that you do–day in and day out. We appreciate all the hard work that you put in. We wouldn’t have the Property Management Department that we have without our property managers, so we really appreciate everything that you do for us, for our business, and for our owners and tenants.”

As a token of appreciation, Abbey prepared a gift box for each of the property managers with essentials that can help them relax over the weekend (it’a a surprise, so we won’t reveal the items here yet).

Additionally, decorations have been placed up in  the workplace to spice up the day. No drinks this time, because we’re still currently participating in “Dry July”.

From managing increased portfolios of vacant properties, observing ever-changing restrictions and protocols, adjusting to different work settings,  and coping with all the many pandemic-related life challenges, property managers proved their resiliency by working even beyond their call of duty. 

To wrap this blog up, here’s Abbey’s short message, in behalf of the whole Property Management Team, to all the property owners and tenants out there:

“Just be kind to your property managers. We’re only human. We do the absolute best that we can in the situations that we are put in and we’re very conscious of the fact that we can’t always give the outcome to both parties that they might want, but rest assured that we’re always working hard to do and have the best solution for both the owner and the tenant.” 

Our Team at 4one4 Property Co. wishes all the property managers across Australia a Happy National Property Managers Day! 

If you are interested in hearing more, Abbey was on The Property Pod Discussing National Property Managers Day- find out more here: