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A national conference tour hosted by LJ Hooker has aimed to give property managers the attention that can sometimes feel lacking in the industry.
“Property management professionals on the ground can feel overlooked but they are the backbone of our group and the entire real estate industry,” said Nick Georges, LJ Hooker’s head of property management.
It was this sentiment that impressed on him the need for a substantial group-wide event to support those working in this industry subsector.
Held across Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, with a final date planned in Adelaide on 17 June, the “Shine” conference aims to balance skill-building sessions with much-deserved recognition.
“I want [PMs] to know that they are part of something bigger and an integral part of the LJ Hooker Group. The conference has always been a goal of mine and now – more than ever – PMs need to receive recognition and build on the skills they have gained during the pandemic,” Mr Georges said.
He noted that perhaps more than any other role in the industry, the job of a property manager had changed radically over the course of the pandemic.
“It has been a tough couple of years dealing with issues such as rent relief, while the recent floods have brought more grief with the shortage of tradespeople and uninhabitable properties,” he commented.
The events, he said, offered an important opportunity to “bring PMs together, to share stories and to let them know they are not alone”.
Stacie Sheldrick, business development manager at LJ Hooker Canberra City, said that the mutual support provided by events such as this was great for keeping morale up within the profession.
“It was very comforting to learn that we are all in the same boat, especially in these times. It was perfect timing. They just nailed it on the topics and it really gave the whole team a boost,” she said.
Ms Sheldrick added that while her team had initially had reservations about taking the time out of their day, they ultimately found it “uplifting” and had begun implementing some strategies from the conference.
Mr Georges said the positive feedback had encouraged the group to aim to produce a bigger and better event next year.
“When you are organising something like this, you are hopeful that people will turn up and take something away from it, but the response across the board has been wonderful,” he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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