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Tiana Mueller has been passionate about real estate since childhood. Her other passion could have led her to work in creative arts or dance.
Why did you join the PM industry?
My father worked in real estate in Wollongong for quite some time and as I grew up my passion for the real estate industry increased. Property management allows you to develop so many of your skills and it teaches you many life lessons along the way.
What were you doing before PM?
I graduated high school in 2009 and went on to study an entertainment management course at a college in Sydney. I soon realised that it wasn’t for me and began to look for a way to start my career in property management.
What would you like your next career step to be?
After just obtaining my real estate licence the next step for me is to develop my leadership and management skills so I can step into a managerial role in the future. I get a real enjoyment out of helping and teaching people and to be able to lead a team of property managers and pass on my knowledge and skills is something I would really enjoy.
What area of PM needs a greater training focus and why?
I don’t think that there is enough entry-level training for the industry in general. At the moment anyone can come and complete a five-day course (or sometimes shorter) and obtain their certificate of registration and then commence working. There are property officers in companies responsible for the most vital part of the tenancy process (selecting tenants) that have little to no experience or training in this area and the trust instilled in them to set the tenancy up from the start is enormous. I would like to see the requirements and quality of training increase so that the people carrying out these roles have the training and experience to be able to execute their role exceptionally well.
Where do you believe PMs' responsibilities should start and end?
We are responsible for too many things that we are not qualified to give advice on or make judgments on. For example, smoke alarms, window locks, balcony heights, asbestos, and the list goes on. In other industries you need to have certain qualifications to deal with these things, but for some reason they are continually put back onto property managers. I would like to see things such as the above fall back onto another body rather than the real estate industry.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in the PM industry?
I probably would be some type of creative arts teacher. I studied dance for 15 years and it has taught me many life lessons, so to be able to pass on my knowledge and skills to the younger generations would be something I would enjoy.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The diverse range of tasks I get to complete in my role is great; one of my favourite aspects is listing new managements and clients for the agency. I get great satisfaction out of knowing someone chose me over someone else. It continually pushes me to keep developing my skills and achieving my goals.
What are the most stressful aspects of your job?
One of the most stressful or difficult parts is making those phone calls you don’t want to make. When you have to call an owner and tell them an unexpected big expense has come up which they haven’t budgeted for, or when a property is taking longer than they anticipated to lease out. I have learnt to make these phone calls at the beginning of the day and get them out of the way, otherwise it will cloud your judgement for the rest of the day and leave you feeling sick in the stomach for longer than you need to.
How do you relax after a stressful day at work?
By being with my family and friends. I am very close to my family and friends and being surrounded by people that support you is vital for success. I am so lucky to have a great group of people around me constantly, both at work and at home.
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