By Cassi Sherbert, Regional Property Manager, SG Management cassi@sherbertgroup.com

When people think about property management, they often picture one person juggling resident concerns, maintenance emergencies, leasing, vendors, inspections, budgets, and everything in between. The reality is, no property manager can do it all alone.

The most successful communities aren’t built by one great property manager. They’re built by strong teams that work together to solve problems, protect the property, and create an exceptional resident experience.

Whether you have a full property management staff or manage your own properties with the help of employees and vendors, the people you surround yourself with can make or break your operation.

Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that hiring the right person isn’t always about finding the candidate with the most experience. Skills can be taught. Processes can be learned. Systems can be trained. But attitude, integrity, work ethic, and a genuine desire to help people are much harder to teach.

That’s why I believe in hiring for attitude and training for skill.

When hiring, look beyond the resume:

For owners who manage their own properties, the same applies to contractors and vendors. They become an extension of your business, so the cheapest option isn’t always the best one.

Trust Your Team to Make Decisions

Hiring good people only works if you trust them enough to do their jobs. Micromanaging every decision doesn’t create strong employees. It creates employees who are afraid to act without permission. Your team should understand what they can handle independently, when something needs to be escalated, and the standards they’re expected to maintain.

I was reminded of this one night when our building’s fire alarms unexpectedly began going off around 11:00 p.m. My leasing agent immediately got out of bed, drove to the property, and called me as she assessed the situation. She calmly communicated with residents who had been startled awake, answered questions, reassured them, and even managed to lighten the mood.

After the alarms were silenced, our fire protection company initially said a technician would arrive the next morning. At 1:00 am, we received another call saying the technician was actually on the way.

Without hesitation, she returned to the property. By the time the faulty smoke detector was replaced, it was nearly 3:00 am.

The next morning, she was back in the office at 9:00 am.

You can’t train someone to care that much. That’s character.

Build a Team Before You Need One

Owners managing their own properties may not need a large staff, but they do need reliable people they can call when something goes wrong.

Don’t wait for an emergency to start looking for help. Establish trusted contacts for:

Keep those contacts organized and accessible. The goal isn’t to have a huge team. It’s to have the right people in place before you need them.

Celebrate Wins and Own Mistakes

Property management moves quickly, and it’s easy to go from one problem to the next without recognizing what went well. Take the time to acknowledge employees who handle difficult situations, catch problems early, receive positive resident feedback, or simply go above and beyond. People are more likely to take pride in their work when they know their effort is noticed.

Just as importantly, leaders need to take ownership when something goes wrong.

If a mistake affects a resident, vendor, or owner, address the issue first and coach the employee second. Don’t throw your team under the bus to avoid responsibility.

A simple approach is:

  1. Own the issue.
  2. Fix the immediate problem.
  3. Communicate with the person affected.
  4. Determine what went wrong.
  5. Adjust the process so it doesn’t happen again.

The same applies to owners managing their own properties. Residents shouldn’t have to figure out whether an employee, contractor, or vendor caused the problem. From their perspective, you are the property.

Create Systems That Don’t Depend on One Person

No property should fall apart because one person is sick, on vacation, or leaves the company. Keep important information organized, including:

This is especially important for owners managing their own properties. Good systems make it easier to delegate responsibilities and grow without losing control of day-to-day operations.

Your Team Is the Resident Experience

Residents may never know who created the budget or negotiated a vendor contract, but they will remember how they were treated when something went wrong. They remember whether someone answered the phone, whether maintenance followed up, whether they were kept informed, and whether the person helping them genuinely cared.

Great properties aren’t built by one person. They’re built by people who trust each other, communicate well, take accountability, solve problems, and share the same commitment to taking care of the property and the people who call it home.

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