RECRUITMENT GUIDE
Property Manager
A property manager is responsible for overseeing all of the organisational and day to day operations regarding rental properties and their residents, on behalf of the property owner. Their role requires them to be a part of every stage of the renting process, from promoting the property, finding the perfect renters, establishing a rental rate, performing maintenance tasks, collecting payments, to evicting residents or terminating rental agreements.
A property manager must work to achieve the visions and goals of the property owners, in terms of setting a rental price and budgeting property expenses. They must also be familiar with government regulations and guidelines in regards to rental laws, and safety standards, and practice these laws in every interaction.
As a role that requires the property manager to adhere to the owners wishes, as well as ensuring the renters are happy and any issues are resolved, it’s important that property managers are good communicators, can create and keep on track of schedules, and are able to adapt and respond to changing owner or renter needs.
Day-to-day tasks of this role:
- Set rate and collect rent payments.
- Respond to resident needs, and handle any maintenance issues.
- Liaise with property owners.
- Inspect facilities.
- Market property, and find suitable residents.
Recruitment Process
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
Skills profile for a Property Manager
The qualifications required to be a property manager differ depending on the business/owner requirements. Some businesses may only require a high school completion certificate, while others may require a degree in business administration, a real estate licence, or a certificate in real estate or property services.
There are some common skills required for this position. A successful property manager will need to have strong communication skills in order to manage multiple stakeholders including tenants and landlords in both commercial and residential settings. They will also need to be able to listen to and understand both sides’ requests, and act as a third party to support both the owners and residents’ needs.
It is essential that a property manager has excellent negotiation skills. They must be able to negotiate with others to ensure the highest price is met with every lease, and understand the win/win scenarios in negotiations. They must enjoy negotiating, and view it as a challenge that they are excited to achieve.
A property manager must also have exceptional time management skills. They must be able to balance multiple tasks with ease without jeopardising accuracy, and prioritise tasks in order of importance to ensure critical issues are resolved, and deadlines are met. They must also be competent in scheduling meetings and inspections with tenants, being on time to these meetings, and covering all necessary topics during the time frame of the meeting.
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.
SOURCE APPLICANTS
Property Manager Job Description
Summary:
- Why is this role being filled?
- How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
- What makes your company unique?
- What would it be like to work for you?
Requirements:
- What technical skills are needed for this role?
- Which soft skills are applicable?
- What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
- Include availability preferences in this section
Responsibilities:
- What are the key deliverables for this role?
- What does the day-to-day of this role look like?
Benefits:
- Compensation & bonuses
- Employee benefits & perks
- Ongoing training benefits
PRO TIP #1
Ensure you include in the job description any specific licences, accreditations or experience required. For example, some property managers may require a real estate licence.
PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.
SKILL ASSESSMENT
Sample skills assessment
Question 1
Time Management
Question Type: Document
This role requires you to manage multiple properties that will be at various stages of the leasing process. How will you effectively manage your time? Please do this in the document below, and feel free to use previous examples.
Question 2
Negotiation
Question Type: Text
Describe a negotiation you have lost. Would you do anything differently a second time around?
Question 3
Property Manager
Question Type: Video
Describe a time where you have had to evict tenants. How did you manage this process?
INTERVIEW
Interview guide for Property Manager
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.
This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.
PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.
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