Want to be every client’s first pick? 4 simple keys to stand out

At the Property Management Excellence (PMX) Conference, Cincotta said that energy, visibility, clarity, and relatability would be key components for property management professionals looking to grow their businesses in 2026.

She said the four forces of magnetism would not only help them take control of their immediate success, but also their careers and entire lives.

Energy

Cincotta said that business development managers can attract business by radiating positive energy and giving clients a positive impression of their business.

“When was the last time that you met someone and you were like, ‘that person was amazing’? What was it about that person that you loved so much?”, she said.

“Generally, it's because they made you feel a certain way when you were in their presence. They had this energy about them, they had this aura about them, they spoke to you in a certain way that made you feel something.”

She said that when she was a business development manager, she boosted her energy before client meetings by sitting in her car and playing an upbeat song that made her feel her best.

“My vibration was good, my energy was good, and I was showing up to that appraisal in the best possible way because I have control of my energy and how that energy transmutes to somebody else's frequency.”

She said that someone’s energy can even be sensed on the phone, and that she liked to improve it by standing up when making calls.

“It's one of the best ways that you can get your body moving, get some energy moving through your body so that they can sense that through the moment.”

Visibility

Cincotta said property management professionals needed to increase their visibility to attract prospective clients, which can be done through smart marketing.

“Visibility is seen before they need you – 70 per cent of landlords are making their choices based on who they already follow or recognise,” she said.

“You're going to have people already connected with you that are actually deciding whether it's you that they choose to work with or perhaps somebody else.”

She said that to stand out and become the clear choice for prospective clients, business development managers needed to identify what was working in their strategy and fix what wasn’t.

“Are you sharing insights, stories about who you are, the team? Are you sharing the success stories of all of those landlords and tenants that you have helped over the last couple of months of this year?”

“If you've got a future generation of landlords coming through that are very tech savvy, we are living in a digital world, and we want to be seen both in person as much as online.”

Cincotta also said that property professionals should boost their visibility through gorilla marketing, attending events, conferences or school fairs or community events where their ideal clients will be present.

“I have a client who pays $5,000 a year to attend a specific networking group because she knows that her ideal clients are in that networking group, and it’s a particular part of Melbourne that isn't growing,” she said.

“She's being seen by these moms in this networking group because it's the only female networking group. She strategically placed herself where her clients see her.”

Clarity

Cincotta said that a clear marketing strategy that reflected audiences’ desires, goals, passions, and visions enabled a business development manager to attract their ideal clientele.

“Getting really clear on, well, who is your ideal client? What keeps them up at night? Remember, your client is a human being and a human being has needs, desires, goals,” she said.

She said that they can also drive referrals by having a clearly defined mission and vision across their team.

“Where are you now? Where are you going? Who are the people we want to serve? Where are ideal clients? And what is our strategy to attract?”

“Those said clients have transparency within the team. And I would even suggest to do some team goal-setting dates. Keep your team on the journey.”

Cincotta also advised businesses to anticipate client needs, be proactive rather than reactive, and organise regular meetings, whether to discuss refinancing or maintenance planning.

“If you have already established what your client's goals, wants, needs, and desires are, you can already help plan in the future how you'll be proactive in helping them.”

Relatability

Cincotta said that business development managers can also attract clients through relatability by adding a human component to tenants' and landlords’ experiences.

For example, she said that many property management professionals missed the opportunity to meet landlords in person, which would help build trust and create a more personal connection.

She advised professionals to take the time to send out a personalised video to all those clients they have onboarded in their rental department over the last 12 months.

“I don't know about you, but if my property manager did that, as a tenant or a landlord, as your clients, that would make me feel pretty damn special,” she said.

“Every single touch point that you have as one of your processes, how can you humanise that experience and elevate that experience so that it is more of a human experience?”

She said property managers should encourage landlords and tenants to meet each other to establish connections that prevent high turnover.

“I really liked it when my landlord came over to install a blind at a house because I saw that they were human beings and they were normal people and they weren't just these rich, wealthy kids that the media paints them out to be,” she said.