Talking Property Management
Welcome to Talking Property Management; the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the real world of managing investment properties in Brisbane.
I’m Samantha Eason; Principal and Licensee of Exclusively Managed, Property Management agency located in Brisbane. Each episode, I share the untold stories, hard lessons, and everyday realities that come with property management, from difficult tenants and dodgy maintenance to untrained managers and costly mistakes that could’ve been avoided.
This isn’t a sugar coated industry podcast. It’s honest, practical, and straight to the point, with a few laughs along the way. Whether you’re a property investor, landlord, or simply curious about what really goes on behind the scenes, Talking Property Management gives you the insight you didn’t know you needed.
I’ll be sharing real life experiences, expert advice, and proven strategies to help you avoid pitfalls, protect your assets, and get the most out of your investment.
And who knows… I might just be talking about your property manager in the next episode.
Talking Property Management
What is Your Property Manager Saying?
Ever wondered what property managers really think about owners and tenants? Samantha Eason pulls back the curtain on the property management industry by sharing candid complaints from real property managers and then explains why most of these frustrations stem from communication failures rather than difficult clients.
The episode serves as both a reality check for property managers and an eye-opener for property owners. By understanding that property management isn't just about managing properties but about managing expectations, emotions, and everyday challenges, all parties can work toward more productive relationships.
Most compelling is Samantha's analysis of how property managers often create their own problems. When trades disappear, it's frequently because they're tired of waiting weeks for payment. When owners seem difficult about maintenance quotes, it's often because no one properly explained the trade-offs between cost, quality, and urgency. And when tenants become hostile, it typically follows a breakdown in trust that started much earlier in the relationship.
What communication breakdowns have you experienced in property management? Share your story and join the conversation about how we can collectively improve the property management experience for everyone involved.
If you have any questions or scenarios you would like us to discuss on an upcoming episode, please email samantha.eason@exclusivelymanaged.com.au or visit https://www.exclusivelymanaged.com.au/
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Hello and welcome to another episode on Talking Property Management. I'm Samantha Eason and I'm excited with this one because I came across another post and it's absolutely ridiculous from our you know, queensland property managers, and one day I will be banned from this group, but that day hasn't come yet. So I'm actually going to read out exactly what property managers are thinking and saying right now about investment property owners, about investment property owners, tenants and trades, and I want to see if we can take away something from this episode. So let's get straight into it. What do you think is the worst part about being a property manager? This person commented her or them personally, because it was anonymous. When you have trades who are great for five minutes, then they ghost you or you just have so much trouble finding that one trade. But whose fault is that? Ours, apparently, and that's exactly what they posted. Now I find exclusively managed, in particular, maybe me. We have very amazing trades. I focus on keeping our trade base looked after. We have our processes in place to ensure that our trades are looked after and we very rarely have issues with our trades, which is great. A few of them, actually, I've been working with over nine years and some were on that third, fourth year as new trades.
Speaker 1:This other member wrote rude owners. We've all had tough conversations with our clients, but this made me wonder is it really the owner or is it how the property manager is communicating with them? So often what we interpret as rudeness is actually frustration, and if we're not setting the expectations early, not being proactive or clear, it is common for tension to build. Communication isn't just about updates. It's about managing emotion, pressure and investment all at once, and so that particular comment really struck me because one the person wrote anonymously, but also it could be the way that that particular property manager is communicating. Another person wrote that they feel for you, having been a property manager for 25 years and now running their own bond cleaning company.
Speaker 1:The general consensus from trades not wanting to work for real estates is that they have to wait so long to be paid. This person personally understands the process, so she doesn't mind, she works with it, but unfortunately most don't get the delay and hate waiting. It's super tough. I think the most important thing for you to get quality trades on board is to really explain the process and, of course, make your owners understand that there is not always the liberty of waiting for enough rent to accumulate or bonds to be returned and this person's 100% right Trades shouldn't be left waiting to be paid. Most of the time it's avoidable. A proper onboarding explaining that payment can take up to 15 days, 30 days and clear communication with the owner about expected funds goes a long way in keeping everyone on the same page.
Speaker 1:Most of these issues that we're going to be hearing about today, I feel, are going to stem from lack of communication from someone's part, and I feel that if it's not properly explained to any of these issues that we hear about today, yeah, there are going to be people on the other end that are frustrated. Another person wrote that there are owners who want the quote now, now, now, and you get them one that's a good, permanent fix. But no, they want a $5 silly sollies job. I don't know about this. But you drop everything. You get the quote and suddenly it's too expensive and clients want the cheaper option. We all want the cheaper option. That's human nature. But it again comes down to communication. Quality, urgency and affordability don't always come in the same package. Our job is to help our clients weigh up the cost against consequence, because going for the cheapest quote option often costs more in the long run and it comes down to how you communicate that.
Speaker 1:At the end of the day it is the client's property. So if they want to go with the cheaper option, that may be a temporary fix or a short-term solution. That is up to the client. If you have done your job in communicating that with the owner, that hey look, this may only work for six months, 12 months. You may have to end up doing it properly, and I've had these communications with clients over oven hinges. You may be able to get away with replacing an oven hinge or two, but it could only last six weeks, could last six months, could last 12 months. At the end of the day, if that fix doesn't work which nine times out of 10 it doesn't because there's been an adjustment on the door, you have to replace the oven. It's how you communicate with clients. Here's another one Someone else wrote what about owners who want three quotes for a simple repair?
Speaker 1:Trades will stop quoting for free if we keep sending them out to quote every job first. The one thing you have to learn with trades is that no trade wants to be used for their quotes. So what I would do in and what I do in some instances is I see similar work that's been completed and I provide them the quote. And I'm honest Hi, client, we had a trade recently do this which is very similar to the issue that we're experiencing at your property, and it came to this price. Do you want to proceed? Because we still work with that trade. We want to avoid the tenants getting frustrated and also, please keep in mind that you know I can't get trades out there as quick as what we used to and what we would like, so we need to be proactive here. What would you like to do? It's not about how many quotes you get. It's about trusting the process, the trade and the experience behind the recommendation. So if your property owner doesn't trust you fair point they're going to ask for several quotes because they don't trust you. Again, that is an issue that you can resolve with communication and effective communication.
Speaker 1:Another person commented that they are copying constant abuse for things completely outside of their control. Copying constant abuse for things completely outside of their control, whether it's delays from trades, owner approvals, legislation, no-transcript. We are not the roadblock and the weight of that blame, day after day, is burning good people out of this industry. Again, it comes down to setting the expectations. If you're principal leader, property manager, whatever, you need to set your expectations with your trades, your owners and your tenants, and that is how you look after a successful portfolio, and I have done this early on in my career. A client that I still have with me today. He was in direct communication with the tenant and the tenant reported all this maintenance. Long story short, the tenant breached us because that maintenance wasn't completed. So I had a sit down meeting with that owner and I oh my goodness, I was so nervous, but I basically told him that he pays me to do a job and I'm here to do that job, and if we are being breached or he's been breached for maintenance that's not getting completed due to him being notified by the tenant, that affects me being able to do the job properly, and ever since that moment, he has never communicated with his tenants again.
Speaker 1:Another property manager has written. Worst part for me is that there are so many people who know nothing about their rights and responsibilities. There's so much misinformation out there. People always think that we are the ones who call the shots or hold things up, because they don't understand that we act on someone else's behalf. I hate the perception of general public has on property managers and the worst part is the information is so easily accessible for tenants and owners. They have resources to find out their rights, yet go on social media and get a hundred different answers. Pick one that suits them in their own situation and runs with it like it's gospel and this person's right. Most tenants and owners don't actually know their rights and responsibilities.
Speaker 1:But at the core of that issue issue, it's a communication issue. If you, as the property manager, are not taking the time to explain the why behind what we do, people will fill in the gaps with assumptions or, worse, advice from social media. As property managers, we need to take ownership of that. We have to learn to communicate more effectively, clearly, confidently and consistently, because that's what builds trust and stops problems before they start, and a lot of these property managers are expecting that their clients go hunting for the legislation. What are you doing in the role if you're not effectively communicating with your client and providing them with the knowledge that they need? That's what you're there for as the property manager. It's literally what the agency gets paid for.
Speaker 1:Then someone else wrote that they are struggling because they've just started up a new agency and they don't want to pay for advertising because their agency is too small. They don't know where to advertise their properties. Someone else wrote small agency myself. To be honest, I can't afford to pay this subscription, especially when I only have a vacancy once in a blue moon. So I advertise on Facebook and Gumtree. I don't know how good that is doing for those properties, especially that there are so many free websites out there that they could advertise on. But those property managers are unfortunately letting their clients down and there is a few organizations that will help. You know, clients or property managers and business owners advertise their rentals to get the audience that it needs. This one I have experienced myself.
Speaker 1:So you're doing a job, reminding a tenant professionally and respectfully that they're in breach of the legislation whether it's bylaws, the actual legislation, the lease agreement and the tenant comes back with abuse. This has become too normal. Property managers aren't punching bags. We're not being difficult. We're following legislation and there's a way to have tough conversations without personal attacks and somewhere along the line that basic respect has been lost. Again, that comes down to trust and communication. So very easily our legislation will advise that if there is a dispute with the tenant, you can throw in a Form 16 and go through the RTA dispute and those conciliators don't accept abuse in those conciliation meetings. But again that could come down to the tenant, because if you're in a position where you have had to remind a tenant multiple times that there's an issue and the abuse is still there, then you have dropped the ball somewhere.
Speaker 1:As a property manager, I'm not going to go through all the posts from property managers, but at the end of the day, property management is built on people and people need clear communication, mutual respect and understanding. We're not just managing properties, we're managing expectations, emotions and everyday challenges. I do hope that the people listening to this aren't the owners that get annoyed with the quotes process, but also, if you are, it's probably that you haven't been explained properly a better situation or a better process to move forward with obtaining quotes for your property. We will go through our clients' properties once, get through a full list of items that need attention, whether we do them in six months, 12 months or three years From that meeting. It gives our clients a very good position as to where they stand. If we can all step back, communicate better and approach each other with a little more patience, this industry could be a whole lot more sustainable and a whole lot less exhausting. Thank you for listening. I'm Samantha Eason from Talking Property Management and I can't wait to see you on the next show.
