Hi Bree,

While not a BDM my role does involve securing new managements, so I have some understanding of your situation. Yes, a new management is a lot of work but it neednt bog you down.

Perhaps if you work with your property managers to develop a checklist or worksheet for your listing appointments that you could go through with the property owners. This would have the effect of ensuring that the property managers have the information that they need and also of making the property owner feel that you are proactive in your approach and have a full understanding of their property. From your point of view it would create more structure to your listing appointments to enable you to maximise the information you walk away with. At the end of the appointment you can email a copy of the worksheet to the new client outlining any more information they need to provide for the property managers.

Thanks Michael,

We have developed a checklist for our new landlords to use as their guide on whats expected. We have also created one for myself to do on my appraisals and then another to follow up with the landlords after this time to ensure the property is ready for leasing. These checklists have helped a little.

The problem I am still having is getting everything right for the PM’s prior to them doing their ingoing report. At the moment we have it set up so that I handle all maintenance/ cleans/ keys everything prior to that ingoing and then its over to the PM. I find that new properties don’t always get accepted so well from the individual PM’s, they always find a list of things that I miss and to be honest I feel like I get grilled for it!!!! Then I have to fix the problems so the PM can go back out to amend the ingoing report. I have been doing this roll for a year now and you would think I would have it right by now.

I bring on anywhere between 14-18 and I struggle to find the time to get the all 100% prior to leasing. I wish I could get some more support from my PM’s to assist rather than just put a constant negative spin on these new managements and throw their hands up in the air. The truth is we lose around 9-14 properties a month so it’s not like we are growing huge numbers.

Any more supportive advice for me. :)

Hmmm – sounds like a meeting with your department manager is in order to clarify job descriptions and responsibilities. It sounds like the PMs are using you as a PM assistant. If you can make a business case for being able to bring in more property managements through greater focus on business development activities, rather than property management activities. Obviously there are some things that just have to be done with new managements and handing over a mess to the PMs is not the answer. Evryone needs to be on the same page. It may be your office commission or bonus structure that is causing the problem. The PMs may resent having to do a lot of work for new managements if they are not being rewarded for it.  Without completely understanding the scenario I am just throwing out ideas but think that a meeting with your department manager with suggestions and a plan for improvements (not just bringing complaints or problems to the meeting) is worth a shot. Good luck :-)

Hi Bree :)

It sounds to me like your whole team needs to get together & make some changes. You are clearly working very hard to be listing 14-18 new properties a month, however your work is in vain if you have a similar number of clients leaving the business each month.

Are you property managers currently overworked/understaffed? It sounds as though they already have their hands completely full trying to manage their existing clients & they may need a hand if they are losing such a large amount of business.. 160 or so lost managements per year would make me cry!!

This could be why your property managers are not particularly helpful when new managements come into the business.. they feel as though they don’t have the time in their days to manage another property, especially if it requires immediate work.

You want your new clients, who you have built a relationship with & won over, to experience the best possible service & to be satisfied & happy long term clients, not to end up like the 160 or so who are leaving each year.

Maybe do some figures & present it to your principal.. hopefully he or she already has an idea of what is going on, but at the moment it doesn’t sound as though your business is running at its full potential.

Good luck!

Hi Bree – I feel for you & firstly YOU ARE A LITTLE CHAMPION – 14-18 new managements per month is a great effort considering you are doing a lot of running around for them. 

Maybe another hint is to survey your current owners & the lost managements back 6 months and find out what are the main concerns the clients are having, that way a plan can be made. 

Normally BDR is a sales role and therefore minimal contact with the client is best, don’t want you forming a long term relationship with owners, you bring them but PM’s should be settling in and gives them an opportunity to build rapport.  Maybe leasing role would be a great idea for your office?  Can fill the bit missing between securing & let…..

Good luck

Amanda

Hi Bree, top job in securing so many new clients for your employer. Very bad job PMs getting their noses out of joint and giving you grief. Surely they have as much ability as you, if not more, to work with trades and their new client to finish off pre-letting preparation. But no, wait a minute.. they’re the ones losing volumes of managements monthly I would suggest.. probably by being negative all round, which clients do pick up on.

Definitely meeting time, but if they were my PMs they’d be packing..! We can only hope you have a good employer prepared to get involved.

Keep up your good work and “don’t let the B*****ds grind you down..”

If you’re bringing in all this new business, what are your pm’s doing? Once you have done the initial inspection and provided the checklist of outstanding works to the PM’s, it should be on their shoulders to bring the properties up to spec not you.

I’m with Ian (& others), why is the attrition rate so high? Staffing, skillset, training, job satisfaction, career paths etc? What can be improved to increase lessor satisfaction, how long will it take to change the attitude of the PM’s etc?