PM Gems: Helping a tenant through hard times

"A story that stands out for me was when I had a renter who had sadly suffered a significant workplace accident. He lost both his legs and was confined to a wheelchair. The renter was estranged from his family and didn't have anyone to help him through what was a significant life change. I conducted a routine inspection, it was 35+ degrees outside and when I arrived at the property, I could quite clearly see the renter was struggling.

He had lapsed into a deep depression, was living in a mess, and was essentially drinking himself to death. His situation was quite dire. The renter didn't even get out of bed and would hardly make eye contact.

He was also living on nothing but bread and butter and fried eggs. I understood this was not going to end well for him if he didn't receive the help he needed. He was a far cry from the man he was before his accident. With the renter's permission, I sought help for him. I was able to arrange for a social worker through the local council who would become his advocate to get him fast-tracked into a more suitable, wheelchair-friendly home, with regular cleaners and carers who would help him do his shopping, take him for a haircut and generally help out with his day to day (he was eligible for this, given he had transitioned to a disability pension).

When the renter came in with his carer to hand back the keys and move into his new home, he cried and said he would have been left for dead if I hadn't offered to help him make those first steps in the right direction that day at the routine Inspection. He could now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and he would not forget the small kindness he had received when he was at his lowest point. It costs nothing to be kind."

I got into the real estate industry at 19. After studying for a year after high school, I was keen to start working; my line of study was not interesting and I was impatient to get into a job. I went from selling hamburgers at McDonalds to selling houses! I wanted to build a career for myself and saw a lot of variety and opportunity in real estate, so I completed my certificate and set off to find myself a position. I started in sales with Ray White in 2002, before switching to property management in 2011 and I haven't looked back.

I love that property management is about longer-term relationships with clients; it is not transactional as it was in sales. I have worked with some amazing rental providers and renters over the years to help them build a solid property portfolio with great returns. I always try to put myself in my client's shoes. What would I do if I were them?

By personalising your service offering, I have found that clients keep coming back time and time again, recommending you to friends and family. They trust your advice, they listen when you have something important to say and they understand that owning an investment is very similar to running a business. You have to spend money to make money. In turn, rental providers who look after their renters, see less turnover and they look after the property like it is their own. This means safer and more secure homes for renters, solid returns for investors, and less wear and tear on their asset.