Australia’s property management sector is poised to add five million new households over the next 40 years, creating unprecedented growth opportunities for agencies that prepare now.
That was the message from REAL+ CEO Fiona Blayney at PM/ONE Sydney, where she addressed 500 property management professionals.
Rather than fearing AI and automation, Fiona urged the industry to see the future as a transformation, one that will demand both human insight and technological scale.
“Right now, we manage 31 per cent of Australian homes,” Fiona said.
“Instead of sitting around and wondering about the demise of our industry with AI and other technological advances, perhaps we should be thinking about the opportunity that sits in front of us.”
The Scale of the Opportunity
Australia currently has 9.3 million households.
Over the next five decades, that number will rise to more than 14 million – driven by a projected 70 per cent population increase.
Yet only 36,000 property management professionals currently serve this market.
The math is clear: without technology, the sector won’t have the capacity to manage demand.
But barriers to scaling remain. Phone companies sometimes flag business calls as spam, making it harder for agents to connect with potential clients. Fiona warned this challenge will intensify, pushing agencies to build brand trust well before a phone call is made.
Seven Generations, One Office
Complicating matters is the generational spread now visible across the property landscape. Property management teams often include staff spanning five generations, while landlords and tenants represent an even broader mix. This diversity demands new communication agility.
“I am here to serve you, my client. Therefore, I need to communicate with you how you need to be communicated with—not how I text, TikTok, or Snapchat with my children,” Fiona said.
Beyond the Traditional Model
Property management itself is changing. Build-to-rent developments, affordable housing programs, and community housing initiatives are all reshaping the service landscape.
These models require specialised knowledge—for example, affordable housing rents may fluctuate based on tenant income.
Fiona argues these new categories are untapped revenue streams for agencies willing to diversify. She also sees a natural extension into buyer advocacy, helping investor clients expand beyond the current average of 1.3 properties.
Building the Future Team
To scale sustainably, Fiona envisions property management teams with roles that don’t exist in most agencies today: data analysts, relationship managers, multi-state coordinators, compliance leads, and AI integration specialists.
These aren’t tech-for-tech’s-sake positions—they’re about freeing up frontline staff to do what humans do best.
“AI is not smarter than you. It’s just different to you,” Fiona says.
Her point: AI can manage routine tasks, but agents remain essential for complex negotiations, trust-building, and strategic advice.
Action Over Aspiration
With government targets aiming to build 1.2 million new homes in five years, and with property management responsible for nearly a third of Australia’s housing stock, Fiona says the time for agencies to act is now.
Yet many teams claiming to be in “growth mode” lack a real plan. Hiring another BDM and posting sporadically on social media isn’t a strategy.
Fiona recommends working backwards from clear goals and building systems that scale without burning out the team.
Above all, she urges agencies to let go of the “efficiency at all costs” mindset. Growth won’t come from asking managers to juggle more properties faster.
It will come from investing in people, training, and infrastructure that supports a multi-generational, tech-enabled, and client-focused future.
