Julie Elder from Hockingstuart Preston shares her advice for aspiring property managers

In August 2022, we announced Julie Elder from Hockingstuart Preston as Property Manager of the Year at the Belle Property and Hockingstuart State Awards night!

Julie has worked alongside Joe Ledda, Josie Galati and the team at Hockingstuart Preston for the last six years.

She began her real estate career in an administration role at the Hockingstuart Preston office after successfully running her own business. After quickly making a strong impression with her dedicated, honest and reliable approach, Julie accepted a full-time Property Manager position in 2017 and has never looked back!

Are you considering a career as a Property Manager with Hockingstuart? In today's blog, Julie shares her advice for aspiring property managers to learn more about what to expect from this exciting career!

"Gain an understanding of what a property manager does."

One of the most important first steps before considering a career in property management is to learn the ins and outs of the role.

Property managers bring an extraordinary amount of value to landlords, tenants, and investors by handling all the requirements for an individual property. 

A career in property management means that no two days are the same. Property managers have many responsibilities, so make a good impression in your interview by preparing for what's ahead.  

According to Julie, aspiring property managers should always ask themselves, "is this something that I want to do and feel that I can do well?"

If the answer is yes, property management will be a rewarding career! 

"You have to have a passion for making a difference." 

Property managers play a significant role in so many people's lives. They help homeowners get the most from their investment by maintaining their property to the highest standard while supporting tenants to live comfortably in their neighbourhood of choice.

According to Julie, being able to make a difference in people's lives is the most rewarding part of the role. 

"I love finding homes for people and helping them," says Julie. "It's rewarding to make a difference in people's lives to the owners and the renters, and to the team of people you work with." 

"Always be ready to listen." 

Property managers speak to different people every day, including vendors, tenants, maintenance staff and various people in the local community. Julie says that it's essential for property managers to have strong communication skills, which means being able to listen closely.

"You have to know how to listen so you know what you're dealing with," says Julie. "Every time you speak to someone you should ask yourself, 'what is the real issue here?' That way you're not just talking to someone but also finding out what their needs are, what their requirements are and referring it to where it needs to go, whether it be to the owner, the renter, tradespeople or other staff members. It's a real people business."

"It's all about being there for each other."

Property management is a highly collaborative career. Julie says she proudly shares her Property Manager of the Year award with the Hockingstuart Preston team, who maintain an inclusive and supportive work environment. 

"We're very inclusive and we all pitch in to help each other out," says Julie. "By helping each other, we're able to give our best service, and that is being reflected in our outcomes.

If anyone needs something, we just do it for them. When you're on leave, someone will take care of your work so you don't come back to 1000 unread emails and things to catch up on. We have training sessions every week where we all sit together and go through what people need help with.

We do it as a team, so you're never out there floundering on your own. Everything has a solution; you just have to find it."

Are you ready to start your property management career? Julie has one last piece of advice:

"Reach out and give it a go! It's something different every day. It's challenging, it's rewarding, and you can make a real difference in people's lives."  

Get in touch with the Hockingstuart Preston team today to learn more about upcoming opportunities to join their award-winning property management team!

preston@hockingstuart.com | 03 9471 1100