What traits define an exemplary property manager?
Christine Ann Jubelt, Ph.D., Co-Founder of APM services, evaluated 23 core competencies, including honesty, efficiency, approachability and financial acumen, and came up with three that property management executives believe the exemplary property manager must possess: honesty, clear communicator and passion.
Outside those, characteristics needed to be an exemplary manager vary based on the size of the firm. For instance, large firms saw approachability as a key trait, while mid-sized companies viewed emotional intelligence and being team-focused as strong attributes that bring success.
At smaller firms, not surprisingly, efficiency is required.
“Property managers for smaller firms have to wear multiple hats — doing things as diverse as marketing and bidding-out work,” Jubelt says. “Their priorities can change [on the fly].”
Once her management company defines its key traits, Alexandra Jackiw, President of Milhaus Management, says it uses an assessment tool to identify high performers and the training programs necessary to develop those skills among its staff.
Jackiw recommends using training to improve competencies, such as time management, supervision skills, communication skills, team-building and even emotional intelligence.
“You can develop performance management tools that keep these competencies in the forefront,” Jackiw says. “If you value a skill, make that part of your performance management system.”
Training can be tailored to an individual company’s needs.
“Smaller companies with fewer employees need to figure how to get more done with fewer people,” Jackiw says. “How better to do that than to offer time-management training?”
Jackiw, who taught property management at Virginia Tech, says many students struggle to express themselves through writing or orally. “Our investors expect onsite managers to speak articulately while on the phone and in person,” she says.
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