EPM
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Don’t blame the messenger: Michelle Williams
Unfortunately, this kind of reactive management is no longer acceptable to the savvy investor. They expect you to represent them and lead their decisions based on knowledge and expertise. They don’t want you to simply be the go-between. When you think about it, why would they pay for that service when they could cut out the middleman? When I see…
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The Cimino Connection
If property investment is a numbers game, Michael Cimino is superbly positioned to lead the field. Having spent much of his career as a financial service professional with ‘big four’ practices, he was persuaded to leave his high-profile role at a nationally recognised superannuation consultancy just under 12 months ago to head the property management division of burgeoning Melbourne business Inner…
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How healthy is your PM department?
Cough, cough. Splutter and sneeze. It’s not only your property managers who need to up their dose of Vitamin C and ensure they get their flu jab this season. Unbeknownst to you, your property management department may be in less than tip-top shape. A sickly rent roll may be underperforming for many reasons, potentially losing you money each month, causing…
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Preparing for bushfire season: Sharon Fox-Slater
Bushfire season has just begun, but already there have been devastating fires across New South Wales, in Queensland’s Far North, near Darwin and in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. And as spring moves into summer, many other parts of the country will also brace for fires. For agents managing rentals in bushfire-prone areas, it is time to make sure your landlord…
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How to get more buyers through your listing
When you get a vendor who is willing to invest in social media, you want to make sure you are maximising the return for them. You also want to make sure that the leads generated are captured and that you are able to start converting them into either buyers or future sellers. We have outlined below one of our most…
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How to unlock your technology superpowers
While it can’t magically give you more time, the right technology can help you do more and provide your customers with a valuable and personalised experience. But there’s no point simply using technology for technology’s sake. The value of implementing the right technology lies in its ability to save everyone time, over and over again. Here are three ways technology…
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Why you should switch off your phone
Our love of the bells, dings, whistles supplied by technology has created an addiction. As a result, we find that our brains are in the process of being rewired to cope with the demands that technology places on our everyday lives. Recent studies have shown that our physiology has evolved, leading to altered memory, sleep patterns and even our attention…
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Why you need to be an early tech adopter
Because we cannot see into the future, predictions tend to be vague. Economists predict you’ll need to be agile and adaptable, and that you’ll have to ‘deal with information’. These are conceptual ideas. They don’t tell us what will happen to our spreadsheets. They don’t indicate if we’ll still need a virtual assistant in two years. The tech providers making…
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Why we need to look outside the real estate industry for customer service lessons
There is something about watching mere mortals attempting to renovate what appears to be the ‘unrenovatable’ (and yes, I’m sure that’s a word) in a matter of weeks, with limited to no experience, whilst living through the unlivable. Now that I think about it, watching reality renovation shows for someone who has never renovated is akin to being an armchair…
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How to find your 75 things and secure more business
Property management has and always will be about serving people. We can get so caught up in a world of legislation and compliance, that we forget many of our landlords aren’t always aware of what we do and why we do it. Property managers have an opportunity to exceed expectations and deliver an exceptional consumer experience by having a point…
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Do you want insurance with that?
Upselling, value-adding and alternative income streams are all part and parcel of modern-day business. The business growth strategy du jour is ‘adjacencies’. Adjacency is a strategy where a company looks outside its boundaries for new sources of income, moving into related areas that use and reinforce its core business. In real estate, the most common partnerships are with related services…
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How to maintain your agency’s value in a softer market
As markets cool across the country, conversations are being held around the impact this may or may not have on the value of real estate businesses. To put this in perspective and to provide a greater insight into the level of interest this is creating, we have conducted more agency and rent roll valuations in the last three months than…
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Ask the coach: How to be organised in lead management and what tech tools to consider for a BDM
Q. My BDM embraces prospecting; however, she is completely disorganised when it comes to lead management. What technology should I consider supporting her with? When it comes to tech tools for a BDM, the most crucial is always a phone! Second to that is a way to manage leads, and selecting what works best will be different for every business.…
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What’s the next step for your career?
From a humble property manager in suburban Perth over 20 years ago to an awarded industry influencer and thought leader working with international real estate companies, I am truly grateful for where my career has taken me. By continually planning, risking, investing, discovering and believing in yourself, you too can achieve this same success. To take your property management career…
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Learning to fly: Tameka Smith
Taking out the number one spot in PM Transform 2018 wasn’t the goal for Tameka Smith when she decided to enrol. The director of Key2 Property in Launceston didn’t even realise the program had a competitive aspect, just entering because of her love of training. But her dedication to betterment in both herself and the industry saw her top the leaderboard.…
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Ask the coach: How to fully maximise the use of the technology to be more efficient in your work
Q. I have so many different programs to use on a daily basis and still the emails and calls don’t stop! Where can I make our tech more efficient? Day to day property management demands and the changes that are constantly happening with technology can at times be incredibly overwhelming. One of the things that we can do in trying…
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5 steps to long-term business growth
If you want to build a better property management business – one that is successful in the future – you must plant some of the seeds today and be prepared to play the long game. Jo-Anne Oliveri has five simple strategies where consistency will grow the size and value of your business in the future. 1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE…
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Ask the coach: How to know if you’re ready to implement new technology
Q. My team are always wanting to implement new technology. How do I know what we really need? It’s easy to get distracted by that bright shiny object that promises to ‘make life easier’. Your teams are constantly inundated with an abundance of new technology promising to save time, improve communication, create better reporting… the list goes on! Whilst I…
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Beepo and Rockend partner to provide accreditation for offshore employees
Adequate training is usually one of the biggest challenges in implementing offshore teams. One of the main issues has always been the struggle with a large number of unique software products along with legislative and geographical knowledge requirements. But Beepo has recently decided to tackle this challenge head-on by partnering with Rockend to develop trained resources, otherwise known as ‘Rockend Property…
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Queensland becomes next state to face widespread rental reforms
The Queensland Government has announced a state-wide consultation to be followed with reforms to residential tenancy laws for renters and property owners. The consultation began on 30 September and will involve renters, landlords and real estate agents being contacted and asked for their views around the changing market and how successful the current system is. The reviews of the 40-year-old…
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NSW rental laws set for biggest reform in two decades
For the first time in more than two decades, NSW rental laws are set for a massive shakeup. Major changes include limitations on rental increases and set fees for breaking a fixed-term lease. The reforms also look to bring in no penalties for domestic violence victims who break a lease. Other changes include minimum standards being introduced around access to…
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What property managers can learn from great entrepreneurs
Inspirational quotes from famous entrepreneurs and the thought-leaders we admire might add flavour to our daily Instagram trawl, but placing great people on a pedestal can be counter-productive. Instead of adopting their wisdom we hold it apart from ourselves. Whether we use their smarts to improve the daily operations of our real estate businesses or to create a product that…
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How to deliver a confident listing presentation
I recently conducted a role-play session during a workshop where I was the BDM and one of the attendees was the property owner. I had the frightening pleasure of being back in the hot seat again and, just quietly, I loved it! I also had the attendees provide feedback, which not only opened my eyes to my performance but also…
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Why your customer service needs to be different: Adam Freitas
Tell us a bit about yourself and your agency. I was born and raised in Sydney’s Inner West. I’ve been around real estate my whole life but started in 2002 and have only worked in the Inner West. I’m highly driven and committed to my clients, and I focus on having a thorough understanding and respect of their individual needs.…
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9 signs you may be more cut out for leadership than you think
Are you underestimating your emotional intelligence and power to lead? Have you turned down the opportunity to interview for leadership positions because you’re not ‘cut out’ to be a leader?
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Why are property managers worried about automation?
We live in the digital era which is quickly paving the way for the future, but adapting to the needs and demands of a tech-focused world can often be scary. When people hear the word ‘automation’, there is a natural fear because the thought of minimising human intervention leads to an assumption of ‘less to do’ or ‘blocking relationships’. The…
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6 ways to monitor the vital signs of your business
To keep your property management business healthy, here are the top vital signs you need to monitor. Vital Sign 1: Arrears Pulse Leaders keep a finger on the pulse of their property management business’ arrears. Their goal is to keep arrears at zero per cent by managing high-risk tenants. Pulse Leaders know that if their business has tenants with ongoing…
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The best way to handle negative reviews
The latest review platform, outside Facebook and Google, for property management departments, is a website called ‘Don’t Rent Me’. I recommend you check it out if you’re not familiar, to see whether you or your agency has been featured on what they call ‘The Wall of Shame’. Following many telephone calls and messages from property managers wanting guidance in how…
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How overcoming ‘stranger danger’ can be good for business
Green and white stickers once adorned letterboxes across a community; they represented a Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) ‘safe house’. If your letterbox had one of these stickers you were considered a safe house for children in need on their way home from school. They were a fantastic idea back in the day when kids were walking home from school; should they…
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How to overcome wage woes in the modern agency
What is stopping your agency from achieving growth, and not just surviving but thriving in the current market? Most people would say it’s cash. Whether it’s growing your people through training and development, growing your market though lead generation and business development, or growing up operationally by investing in new technology, it all takes time and costs money. So the…
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Why EQ triumphs over IQ
Being a leader often meant you had to be the smartest person in the room or the person with the most grey hairs. But things have changed. Importantly, strong leadership can be the difference between a thriving and successful business, and one that suffers under the pressures of disruptive change. So what does it take to be a successful leader…
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Going to the dogs: Sharon Fox-Slater
As new legislation in Victoria is set to see pets in rentals become the norm instead of the exception, Sharon Fox-Slater says the fear of damage might not be justified. With the Victorian Government tabling its ‘Fair Rent’ Bill in Parliament, the issue of pets in rentals is in the spotlight again. Amongst the 130 reforms, the proposed new legislation…
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There are no secrets to success: Ewan Morton
The desire for excellence has always been at the crux of what gets Ewan Morton out of bed every day. It is this relentless drive that has helped the 50-year-old turn the fledgeling family real estate business he co-founded with his father Mark 22 years ago into the burgeoning real estate and property management operation Morton is today. Starting with…
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Ask the coach: How to transition into a leadership promotion
Q. I have recently been promoted into a team leader role. How do I get on top of my time management with the added workload? Firstly, congratulations on your promotion and jumping into the next phase of your career! While it can be exciting to begin a new role, it can be daunting as you try to take into account all…
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Personal Safety: It’s OK to walk away
WHEN IT COMES to managing teams in property management, one of the most vital aspects is remembering to keep them safe both in the office and on the road. Heidi Walkinshaw suggests six ways to minimise the inevitable risks. As I prepare training programs and consult with teams, one topic that is regularly raised is that of the safety of…
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