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Steven Cross
More than a third of agency principals are seeing conflict between their sales and property management teams, new figures show.
The figures have been described as alarming, with Maree Richardson, principal at Beaudesert Properties Queensland, claiming both areas of the business must work together.
“I’ve been in real estate for 17 years and I know that if sales people don’t work with property managers, then things fall apart,” Ms Richardson told Real Estate Business.
“We’ve got a thing on no secrecy...There’s not a locked thing in this place except for the doors at night. Sales can go to the property management files and the other way around, and there’s no drama.”
A recent online straw poll by Real Estate Business showed that 20.6 per cent of the 257 respondents see regular conflict between the two departments, while 16.7 per cent said they saw it ‘sometimes’.
The relationship between the two departments is now more important than ever as principals seek a more consistent flow of revenue from rent rolls as some sales markets flounder.
Ms Richardson said the key is to stamp out any issues before they flare up.
“We don’t let things erupt here, they get straightened up and cleaned up before anyone gets dirty on anyone. You’ve got to be that way,” she said.
“The fights will usually be about someone wanting to rent [a property] and someone wanting to sell it, to which we always say: ‘Let the best man win’.
“It all boils down to communication. I’ve got a big open office. It’s all open and everyone talks to everyone. So sales and property management have got to talk, everyone has to talk.”
However, a property manager who has witnessed clashes with salespeople believes it runs deeper than business attitudes.
Kathy Peters said she experienced disputes with salespeople in her previous role, before moving to her current agency, Ray White Sutherland.
“I had to deal with about 15 [salespeople] before and they all had different personalities to deal with,” she said. “There has always been a long standing thing between sales and property management - it is like we are a separate company, even though we are all working for the same place."
“They are usually segregated in the office so the only time they seem to speak to us is when they want something.
“But if a rental property came on the market they would be your best friend.”
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