Fifteen phone calls a day could transform your property management business, and Ray White Canberra has the numbers to prove it.
That’s the deceptively simple formula Lisa Hyland shared at PM/ONE 2025.
The CEO of Property Management oversees 3,500 properties and credits daily client contact as the engine behind winning Ray White’s International Property Management Business of the Year.
“Fifteen calls per day can turn the dial within a business,” Lisa said.
But this isn’t about cold calling or chasing rent. It’s about making the invisible visible.
Hyland’s team discovered that most property management fires start the same way: clients don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes.
A landlord calls angry about unpaid rent that was actually paid weeks ago. A tenant complains about ignored maintenance that’s already been scheduled. The work gets done, but the story never gets told.
“Truth is only relevant if it’s communicated,” Lisa said.
“How many fires do we fight simply because we forgot to bring the client on the journey?”
Ray White Canberra’s solution sounds almost too basic for 2025. After every open home, after every inspection, after every maintenance approval—pick up the phone. Not to sell anything. Just to confirm what happened.
The results cascade through the business in unexpected ways.
Staff retention improved because property managers spent less time managing complaints and more time building relationships.
In fact, Ray White Canberra renamed their property managers “relationship managers” to reflect this shift.
New business flowed in through referrals from landlords who finally felt heard. The team expanded from a handful to 45 staff through seven acquisitions, all while maintaining service standards.
The phone calls work because they’re systematic, not random.
Every relationship manager makes their calls at the same time each day. They follow up inspections with owners before sending written reports. They confirm maintenance completion before approving invoices. They check that landlords received and understood their monthly statements.
These aren’t long conversations. Most last under two minutes. But they prevent the 20-minute complaint calls that drain energy and erode trust. Technology amplifies rather than replaces this human touch.
Ray White Canberra uses Ailo’s property management platform to track every interaction and schedule follow-ups. Their 360-degree cameras cut inspection time from hours to 30 minutes, freeing up more time for client contact. But the tech serves the relationships, not the other way around.
“You can’t automate a relationship,” Lisa says.
“Our clients remember how you make them feel, not how fast you send them an inspection report.”
The approach extends beyond external communication.
Every morning, Hyland’s team gathers for a 10-minute standup meeting. They share the day’s priorities, identify roadblocks, and celebrate wins. New team members learn by listening to experienced managers explain their decisions. The ritual creates consistency that clients can feel in every interaction.
This focus on communication, consistency and control helped Ray White Canberra navigate major transitions. When switching property management software—a move that typically triggers client anxiety and staff turnover—they sent two video updates and three follow-up emails explaining each step. They created guides showing landlords how to read their new statements. They controlled the narrative instead of letting confusion fill the vacuum.
The three C’s framework scales with growth.
Ray White Canberra now runs programs that would seem impossible for smaller agencies. Their return-to-work initiative helps mothers re-enter property management with reduced portfolios and flexible schedules. Their pathways program recruits school leavers into property management careers. Their work experience program shows teenagers that property management offers real career paths, not just jobs.
But everything circles back to those 15 daily calls.
In an industry obsessed with automation and efficiency, Ray White Canberra proves that picking up the phone remains the most powerful tool in property management. Not for selling. Not for chasing. Just for connecting.
The math is compelling: 15 calls times 20 working days equals 300 client touches per month per team member. Multiply that by even a small team, and you’re creating thousands of positive interactions that competitors simply aren’t having.
“At the end of the day, we’re not in the business of buildings. We’re in the business of people,” Lisa said.
For property managers drowning in reactive communication, Hyland’s message is clear: take control of the conversation before problems arise. Make the invisible visible. Turn your team into storytellers who bring clients along for the journey.
The question isn’t whether you have time for 15 calls a day.
It’s whether you have time for the fires you’ll fight without them.
