Do you feel like being a property manager is harder and requires more patience than it did in the past?
The past year has certainly thrown us some curveballs, and in my 23 years of being an agent and property manager, 2020 has been one of the most challenging.
I truly love being in real estate and helping people transact in property, whether that be in sales or property management.
I am fortunate to be in a position where I get to pick and choose my clients and customers, but even that can come at a cost to my business at times.
This year will be known as the year of ‘what’s next?’
What is going to happen next week that will impact us on a daily basis?
It might be state borders opening or closing unexpectedly, government support and financial assistance changing, or people generally just feeling exhausted and tired because they have worked or pushed through most of the year without stopping to take a breath.
The other day, a friend of mine said there was no point having a holiday as there is nowhere to go.
So they may as well keep working.
Most people believe they have to go somewhere to have time off, but with this year being what it is, we need to stop and recognise that our body and mind needs a break.
Even if we don’t get to go to our favourite destination.
I’ve encouraged the teams I work with to take some downtime, even if it’s an extended weekend here and there, to switch off from being in real estate.
Landlords and tenants are no doubt feeling the same.
I have dealt with a few people recently who seemed to be super sensitive about issues that wouldn’t normally bother them.
One of my clients apologised after a discussion and said, “I’m sorry, I am just so exhausted at the moment and in need of a break”.
As property managers, we deal with disputes every day. That’s why our job exists.
The tenants and landlords with no concerns don’t ring us.
It’s the ones that need to report a maintenance issue, hand keys in, pay rent that’s overdue or who need our direct attention that keeps us in business.
As property managers, we are known for our problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve disputes before they escalate.
Our job got that little bit harder this year with people’s emotions going into overdrive.
I talk to and work with a lot of agents in different agencies.
I remind them, just as I constantly remind myself, not to take it personally.
We have a job to do, and some days that job isn’t the most enjoyable, especially when we end up being the punching bag for a disgruntled landlord or an upset tenant.
But at the end of the day, and with the utmost respect to our industry, it’s just a job.
If we take our personal opinions out of a situation and deal with the matter at hand, especially when our landlords’ and tenants’ emotions are heightened, it’s going to help us get through relatively unscathed.
Keep your chin up. We are part of a great industry with some amazing people.
Some days are just sent to challenge us a little bit more.
