How to Restructure Your Property Management Department and Satisfy the Savvy Client with Rhys Standley

How do you restructure your property management company or property management department to satisfy a savvy client? Rhys Standley, Owner of Just Property Management in Australia, has a creative solution that has increased his company’s client satisfaction and employee satisfaction. We met Rhys at the recent LPMA event in Australia, where the best minds and operations in property management meet once a year. Rhys started his property management company six months ago and manages 1,000-plus properties. He has also founded an outsourcing company called qResults. Today, we go over what Rhys did to restructure Just Property Management. Property Management Clients are Savvy There’s a new economy compared to what has been standard in the past. Customers and clients have a lot more information at their fingertips than they have ever had before. Now: they want to know more they do know more, and they want instant answers. The days of making a phone call and waiting a few days to get a response is unacceptable in today’s climate. Because of that, a lot of property management companies are forced to change the way they do things. A process that once worked doesn’t work anymore because clients are able to expect more. Unless you adapt to new expectations, you’ll become extinct pretty quickly and you won’t grow your business. Perception of Being a “Specialist” in Property Management The typical real estate office is set up like a general practitioner’s office. There’s a lot going on; residential sales, commercial sales, auctions, homewatch services, residential and commercial leasing. That was the way Rhys had his company, until he completely rebranded his company by doing just property management. Doing only property management in his market was unique at the time, and landlords reached out to his company more often. Embracing that one specialty will shift the way your customers see you. You’ll no longer be a general practitioner – you’ll be a heart surgeon. People were happy to pay Rhys a little extra as they expect better service and advice because he’s a specialist, not a generalist. This will create a culture shift in your office and in your marketplace. At that point, reality changes. You need to have the expertise you claim to have. Your systems must be on-point and your checklists have to be thorough, and everyone needs the right training. Going against what everyone was doing at the time has allowed Just Property Management to manage 1,000 doors in a relatively quick time. If you already only do property management and your competitors do too, see if there is an opportunity to dig deeper and see what you can offer that the rest of your competition isn’t able to. Revolutionizing the Property Manager Job Function In your quest for efficiency and the best customer service, the role and the job of the property manager has to evolve. In the past, property managers have done everything, they’ve: shown prospective tenants their properties processed applications for properties completed property condition reports and entry reports typed lease documents conducted inspections and coordinated maintenance. All these tasks help contribute to a high turnover in the property management industry, due to the stress that comes along with the job. So, Rhys asked himself: What is the one main thing that a property manager should do? It came down to communication. Communicating with your clients is a manager’s most important role.