At Wiseberry Heritage the award-winning property management team practices their craft with passion, with a capital P.
The winners of the 2022 AREA for Property Management Team of the year, yesterday we brought you the innovative strategies behind their success.
But there can be no success without good people and today, and tomorrow, we ask the team what they love about their job, where they derive their inspiration from and where they’re headed next.
Kirsten McKenzie- Property Manager
What do you love about property management?
This is something that I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember! I love that I get to wake up every morning to do something that I love every single day. There is no day the same in property management and it’s always super busy – which is what I love.
If I could put it down to one thing that I love about my job, it would be the relationships and connections that I get to build between myself and clients. This is not a job that you can just step into but rather a job that takes months to form trust and relationships – something I strive to do wholeheartedly.
What was your personal work highlight?
My goal was to always work for Wiseberry. I love everything Wiseberry stands for and I love the fact that we are so family and community based.
My 2022 highlight was definitely furthering my career within an amazing and dedicated team.
I count myself as very lucky for all of the friendships, relationships and to be working within this team with the best leaders.
Within our team we win together, we lose together and we learn together.
What did your team do really well last year that you hadn’t done before?
There is always an opportunity to help a community out or a tenant that is doing it tough! I love that we all got involved in providing food hampers to those who were doing it a little tough.
I donated two to some tenants of mine who I knew were struggling. It feels really good to help people and I love that it’s something that we are so heavily involved in. There is also so much support and we never go a day without feeling so supported – there is always help.
What key goal are you focusing on for the next 12 months?
Keep excelling in my career – there is always something to learn and I can’t wait to learn more. Eventually, I would like to work my way to department manager. Dream big, achieve big!
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
Patience! I like to think that I have gained some form of patience doing this. I think patience is the key with this line of work as sometimes there are situations where you don’t have all the answers, where you are frustrated and sometimes things are chaos and crazy but, patience seems to hold me together and keeps me somewhat sane and grounded.
Renee Brookes – Property Associate
What do you love about property management?
What I love most about my job is knowing that I can potentially help or have helped find a new home for many people.
What did your team do really well last year that you hadn’t done before?
Last year our property management team held our best Tenant of the Year event to date.
What key goal/goals are you focusing on for the next 12 months?
My goal that I am focusing on for the next 12 months is to ensure the tenancy team streamline our processes, working towards building and making them stronger.
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
Understand that everyone has a story and empathy and understanding goes a long way.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
Never judge a book by its cover!
Bethany Kranendonk – Property Associate
What do you love about property management?
For the most part I love our working environment here at Wiseberry. We are a very family-like team. We’re welcoming, always have a good time and like helping each other out.
What did your team do really well last year that you hadn’t done before?
This year our team achieved 65 leased properties in the month of March, which is our new agency record.
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
Something I learnt early in my career that still helps me today is something that is so simple, but it is that mistakes are good. No one is perfect and you only learn from these. This took me a while to accept as I always wanted things to go right and when it didn’t, I would start to stress.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
The best piece of advice I have been given is from Olympic silver medallist in high jump and training partner, Nicola Olyslagers (formerly McDermott). It is, “Comparison is the biggest killer of passion, trust the process and have fun”.
Georgia Paki- Property Manager
What do you love about property management?
Our team is my No. 1 love. I wouldn’t be the PM or person I am without them. I also love how ever-changing property management is and the constant learning it provides.
I am also grateful for the people from all different walks of life that we get to meet and become part of their lives. It is so lovely to be a tiny piece of someone’s story.
What was your personal work highlight?
I started in real estate in January doing reception. Come May, I began working at Heritage and took on a property associate position, which quickly turned into property manager. I now manage a portfolio of 170 properties with a really good handle on things. My personal growth has come leaps and bounds in the past 12 months.
What key goal/goals are you focusing on for the next 12 months?
To grow my portfolio, build our team and take on more of a leadership role.
If you could change one thing about the PM industry what would it be?
The expectations. I feel that a lot of the time people forget that a PM is human too and they are often juggling multiple other things, so the ‘drop everything’ expectation cannot be realistic all of the time.
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
That nothing is personal. I used to take home every issue from the day and feel so restless over it until I realised that I am only one person and I am not superman. We can only do what we can in the time provided and balance is key.
Amanda Newell – Property Manager
What do you love about property management?
I love being able to help someone find their new home. Somewhere they can bring up a family, spend time with loved ones, or even just hang out with friends.
What key goal/goals are you focusing on for the next 12 months?
My focus for the next 12 months is to get the perfect work/life balance.
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
I am still learning every single day. But something I learnt early on was to be firm and not to be too overly soft.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
Remember to take every day slowly and day by day. No two days are the same. No two situations are the same.
Rachel Denning – Property Manager
What do you love about property management?
I’m passionate about breaking down barriers and ensuring every client has a positive experience. I get the gratification of being able to do this every day within my role.
What was your personal work highlight?
Throughout 2022 I had many personal and career challenges. My highlight would have to be being able to find the work-life balance I have been craving throughout my career.
It not only enables me to support my team and succeed in my career, but also be present for my family and my personal growth.
What did your team do really well last year that you hadn’t done before?
Support each other. Last year presented many challenges for our team. From new members joining our team to many changes happening that required us to adapt. Throughout all of the changes and new challenges, our team has become more than stable, it has become unbreakable.
I can, hand on heart, say we are stronger than we have ever been and we are genuinely family. I could not see myself as stable, humble or comfortable within any other office or team, which makes everyday easy and enjoyable.
If you could change one thing about the PM industry what would it be?
I would love to be able to change the industry expectation for up and coming property managers. Our industry role is so easily pushed aside due to the pressure and expectation property managers face on a daily basis, however I truly believe, with the correct training, support and industry backing, we will see some amazing property managers enter the industry. Property managers are not spoken about enough!
What’s something that you learnt early in your career that still helps you today?
Having the self awareness to know when to delegate and ask for help. Being confident enough to understand you do not have to know all the answers.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou, but spoken by our leader Darin Butcher.
Kayla De Courcy – Admin/ property management receptionist
What do you love about property management?
Property management is full of surprises! What I love about being in the property management department is working with people. It has given me the greatest strength to grow my ability to communicate with people, whether that be over the phone or in person.
What key goal/goals are you focusing on for the next 12 months?
My key goal to focus on achieving in the next 12 months is building my growth within property management. I may not be a property manager now but it is something I would like to do!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given and who gave it to you?
The best piece of advice I have been given is, “Do it once, do it well.” I will always go by that saying in everything I do.
