Katie Tilden from Ray White and Andrew Palmer from The Property Shop encouraged property management leaders at PM/ONE to make culture visible through recruitment, everyday management, and community involvement.
Speaking during the Country to Coast – A Regional Approach session moderated by Sam Macri, Katie shared that her team helped define the agency’s point of difference, landing on three core values: human, high-performing, and humble.
She said carrying those values through the agency’s marketing and social media had helped turn around recruitment.
“We live it, we breathe it every day. We walk past it, we call it out,” Katie said.
Katie said the business also focused on managers acting as mentors, an approach she believed had improved its ability to hire the people it wanted.
For retention, she described giving senior staff paid time away from work, with the freedom to decide whether they needed to come in.
Katie said she reviewed capacity when she noticed someone regularly working during that time, because she wanted them to use the break.
Andrew said recruitment at The Property Shop centred on finding people who fitted the team, with candidates meeting colleagues from different parts of the business.
He said applicants could spend time with property managers already doing the role they wanted, asking questions without management in the room.
Andrew said the business then sought feedback from everyone involved, including front office staff who had met the candidate in reception.
He also described keeping in contact with promising applicants who were not appointed, so a future vacancy could provide a better fit.
Beyond recruitment, Andrew said supporting the community was a business belief, with staff encouraged to participate in local organisations and family events.
He described making a branded barbecue trailer and pop-up marquees available for community use, alongside supporting junior sport, schools, and arts projects.
Katie said her agency offered free Santa photos and wanted its community involvement to contribute genuinely to the area’s growth.
She said businesses needed to respect the intelligence of clients and consumers.
For day-to-day property management, Andrew said working in a smaller community meant staff could encounter owners and renters at the supermarket, school, or weekend sport after a difficult conversation.
“So you’ve just got to be very conscious in the community of how you deliver those messages and to be respectful,” Andrew said.
Katie said the agency’s marketing carried its values into the community, helping people recognise the business before approaching it for an appraisal.
“And it’s gotta be different. It’s gotta show your personality. It’s not one size fits all,” Katie said.
Actionable
- Define your agency’s values with the people on your team.
- Let candidates question existing property managers without management present.
- Keep in contact with promising applicants for future vacancies.
- Review capacity when staff regularly work during their agreed breaks.
- Carry your agency’s values and personality through your marketing.