Hamish Wilson of A1 Property Managers told PM/ONE 2026 to build straightforward, repeatable processes that everyone can follow, while keeping direct conversations with owners and tenants central to the service.
Hamish said the Christchurch business focused solely on property management, independent of sales, and had developed its approach around consistent processes, team accountability, and trust.
He told the room that growing a business required systems people could rely on, with service delivered consistently whether a client dealt with him, a team leader, or a property manager.
“Because simple processes are scalable and they’re repeatable and are consistent across the board,” he said.
Hamish said leaders needed to trust both their people and their processes, rather than relying on individual effort to keep everything running.
For everyday decisions, he encouraged property managers to consider what they would do if they owned the property, applying that perspective when considering the tenant’s position, the owner’s position, and their own.
He also asked his team to keep commitments clear and follow through on them.
“Say you’re going to do something, do it, and do it better than you said you were going to.”
His communication advice included acknowledging messages by the end of the day, even when a full answer needed more time, and telling the sender when to expect a response.
Hamish encouraged property managers to pick up the phone to resolve issues that might otherwise become lengthy email exchanges, and to let owners know before spending their money.
He said closing the loop meant completing the task and communicating the outcome, while raising emerging issues early helped avoid surprises for owners, colleagues, and leaders.
On legislative change, Hamish urged property managers to educate themselves early so they could explain new requirements confidently.
“You need to be the experts, and you need to be able to put it in plain language to your owners.”
He applied the same emphasis on simplicity to technology, saying any proposed addition should solve an identifiable problem.
Hamish described property management software as the centre of the business’s information, supported by an inspection app and a tenant funnel.
He said the business organised portfolios geographically where possible to use time efficiently, and used a pod structure to maintain a knowledgeable contact for owners and tenants.
Hamish also linked training with better decisions and greater confidence, saying the business paid for team development because capability mattered.
He told the room that work should support life outside the office, and said only the on-call property manager took the work phone home.
“Go home, do whatever you’re going to do, come back tomorrow.”
Actionable
- Make each property management process simple, repeatable, and consistent.
- Acknowledge messages promptly and give a clear response timeframe.
- Phone owners and tenants to resolve lengthy email exchanges.
- Explain legislative changes to owners in plain language.
- Check what problem new software solves before adding it.