When The Agency launched its property management arm in 2016, the ambition was national scale. Today, it manages more than 12,000 properties across four states — and is eyeing 20,000. At the PM One Conference, Real+ founder Fiona Blayney sat down with The Agency’s National Director of Property Management, Maria Carlino, to unpack the growth, the culture behind it, and what it takes to scale without losing sight of people.
Fiona Blayney: The Agency has grown to 12,000 managements in nine years. Take us back to the beginning – how did it all start?
Maria Carlino: The business is nine years old now. It started with a model to take it national, beginning in WA. Matt Lahood was approached, and we bought two small acquisitions in Sydney — one sales and one property management. From there, it was about driving recruitment and looking for organic growth opportunities. Eight years later, here we are with 12,000 managements across Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales.
FB: That’s extraordinary growth. What’s the target from here?
MC: We’re aiming for 20,000. Last year alone, we added 2,700 properties. The momentum is strong.
FB: Let’s talk about values. I noticed you spent six months developing them – that’s quite different from the quick exercises many businesses do.
MC: Exactly. We revisited our values last year because, after nearly a decade, the business had evolved. We asked: what makes our people want to come to work? A team of five worked on this for six months. The result was four values, written in simple, relatable language: Raise the bar, Bring the energy, Together we win, and Do the right thing always.
FB: You’ve divided your focus into three key areas: People, Operations, and Clients. Let’s start with People. What’s been critical there?
MC: We brought in Culture Amp, a global group that helps improve performance and culture while reducing internal noise. My take: we don’t have time for petty distractions. Their surveys showed our teams scored well overall — something I’m proud of — but also revealed a gap in how communication was filtering down.
FB: How did you address that?
MC: Culture Amp gave us a plan. Now we run quarterly video updates that everyone can access. More importantly, we reinforce those messages through team leaders.
FB: Your support structure is significant. What’s happening on the operational side?
MC: We built the Agency Assist Centre — the heart and soul of the business — managed by our Integrity Manager and a 13-person team. Their job is to strip out admin from property managers’ day-to-day. We want PMs focused on relationships, not paperwork.
FB: What about onboarding?
MC: We use Process Street — a 30-point digital checklist that kicks in the moment a GM hires someone. It runs over three months to ensure a thorough, consistent experience for every new starter.
FB: Let’s talk about client experience. You’ve invested in that area too.
MC: We appointed a Head of Client Experience to map the full journey — from onboarding through to offboarding. We run quarterly surveys with just a few short questions, like how satisfied they are with repairs or their preferred method of contact.
The real value is identifying the gap between “satisfied” and “very satisfied” clients. We coach our teams and develop action plans based on that feedback. And you don’t need 12,000 managements to do this — anyone can start surveying clients tomorrow.
FB: You mentioned “resilient teams.” What does that mean to you?
MC: Change is constant in our business, so resilience means being able to push through challenges together. It’s about having each other’s backs and keeping momentum. Our leadership structure might seem large, but when you’ve got big teams underneath, you need the right people in key roles.
FB: For anyone in property management — big or small — what’s your advice?
MC: First, keep your tech stack simple. Don’t confuse your PMs with multiple platforms. We use one source of truth.
Second, communication is everything. Really listen to your team and your clients.
And remember — we weren’t here five years ago. Whether you’re aiming for 120 managements or 12,000, you still need structure. Sole traders are doing all these roles themselves — they just haven’t split them out yet. As you grow, your support structure needs to grow with you.
