ONLY ONE IN FOUR PROPERTY MANAGERS PROMOTES THE INDUSTRY

Sydney, January 22, 2019. The property management industry is at a crossroads with just one in four property managers actively promoting the industry and believing that it is a great career, according to a new report.

The Voice of Australian Property Management Report from Rockend and Elite Agent, is based on a survey of over 1000 property managers (PMs), and the results indicate that with busy workloads, lack of career planning, with no access to the tools or further education they need to succeed at their job are the major deal breakers for PMs.

The report shows 43% of those currently working in property management expect to leave it by their next role with 30% expecting to move into a role in real estate sales and 13% intending to leave the industry altogether.

“The report shows that property management is at a real crossroads,” says Rockend CEO, Alister Maple-Brown. “Those who feel disgruntled in the industry say they are overworked, underpaid, have fewer career prospects and are stressed by the constant demands of their customers. We can see that those who are passive or disgruntled about the industry are in significantly greater numbers than those who are actively promoting and championing it.”

The report found that while property management has its eye on the future, it’s the day to day people challenges that are absorbing most of the attention and energy of industry workers. It also shows a significant disconnect between principals and property managers, which is creating stress and dissatisfaction.

However, the report also shows that when property managers are trained regularly, paid well and given the right tools and career opportunities, they thrive.

“The report shows that the best PM teams have great career structures in place and encourage their people to do more than just be property administrators,” Mr. Maple-Brown says. “The best businesses support their property managers to be proactive advisors and problem solvers delivering extraordinary service to investors and tenants.”

The report also identifies the link between those property management businesses which embrace technology and innovation and service excellence. The data shows that businesses that have property managers who are promoters are more likely to embrace the opportunities of digital disruption, outsourcing, upskilling staff and increasing productivity.

The Voice of Australian Property Management, released this month, is based on research conducted by Rockend and Elite Agent Magazine last year. It shows:

•    71% of property managers enjoy working in property management

•    43% believe their next role will be outside property management

•    62% have the resources and tools to do their work correctly

•    75% of property managers underwent training in the past 12 months (compared to 82% of principals).

•    57% of property managers feel they are just too busy in their current role

•    56% believe they have excellent career prospects within their job

“The report is the most powerful piece of research available to the Australian property management industry showing what we need to do to revitalise the industry,” Mr. Maple-Brown says.

“It demonstrates the links between innovation, our people and great service, and this will help principals and property management team leaders rethink how they manage their teams and approach their businesses.”

About Rockend

Rockend provides innovative, reliable and easy to use property and strata management software products and for the past 40 years has been committed to creating enjoyable property experiences for everyone. Our relentless culture of innovation combined with our award-winning service is what drives continual improvement in all our products, offering smart features and time-saving automation. 

 Rockend has a suite of property solutions, Property Tree, Rest Professional, File Smart and Strata Master, all designed to fit the needs of agencies across Australia and New Zealand.  

Property Tree is Rockend’s cloud-based property management software that is simple to learn and easy to use, whether property management is new to your business or not. It is packed with innovative features that will reduce time spent on mundane tasks, making work easier and giving staff back valuable time.