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Tasmanian property manager Tameka Smith has had a long journey in the real estate sector, but some simple mantras have helped her build her career and gain nationwide recognition.
In conversation with REB, Ms Smith admittedly “fell into property management by accident” — attracted to real estate by what she perceived at age 20 to be “glamour”.
However, her early years proved to be the opposite of such glamour: “I started at the bottom. I was literally the coffee girl and soon realised that I loved to be a PM.
“I am a big believer that knowledge is power, so I threw myself into continuous professional development, first with the REIT then outside training groups, mentors and coaches.”
Eventually, Ms Smith was able to secure a job at Woolcock Partners and then LJ Hooker Launceston, where she was able to develop her skills as a property manager.
“I spent much of my early career working with LJ Hooker and I worked hard to become part of the Multi Million Club. This taught me the skills that I needed in communication and organisation,” she shared.
Going full steam ahead building her career as a property manager, Ms Smith worked her way up and eventually branched out on her own with the agency she now heads up in Launceston alongside Ananda Cairns and Kate Woods, Key2 Property.
With her focus on quality over quantity and high-quality communication, she started building her team in April 2016, booking 100 properties in the first six months alone. To this day, her first hire as well as her first rental remain with the company.
Now, Key2 Property’s property management division boasts a team of seven, with around 500 properties under management.
The ‘Tameka brand’
Through the years, Ms Smith has approached property management with compassion for her clients, putting emphasis on “delivering rules softly for maximum impact”.
With 18 years of experience under her belt, Ms Smith said she continues to be guided by a simple rule she heard first from her father: Be the best that you can be.
Even with her recent accolade as Property Manager of the Year – Regional at the recent REB Women in Real Estate Awards 2020, Ms Smith said she “does not believe that I am better than anyone else, [but] a better version of myself”.
“Each year, I just set goals to continually improve myself,” she commented.
“The ‘Tameka brand’ is all about quality over quantity in everything that I do. From properties that I manage, clients that I work with to the members that I have in the team.”
“My mantra is ‘Be the best you, you can be! You are not in competition with anyone but yourself!’,” she added, noting it as having served her “extremely well” over her 18-year career.
Moving forward, Ms Smith aims to continue sharing her journey on national stages and inspiring property managers across Australia to reach for the stars.
She expressed that “the most crucial part of my success is believing in myself and continued professional and personal development. I’m surrounding myself with amazing people, including my family and friends, my team and my clients.”
It should be no surprise that her biggest piece of advice to budding property managers is “Be the best you, you can be!”.
Reminding them that they aren’t in competition with anyone but themselves, she’s also offered up the reminder to “always take a quality over quantity approach to property management”.
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