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Property managers across Australia are warning that the profession is approaching a structural breaking point, as communication loads, legislative complexity, and conflict-driven casework continue to rise.
Industry reports – including recent rental commissioner updates across NSW and Victoria – have highlighted sharp increases in tenant enquiries, maintenance escalations, and compliance-related complaints over the past 18 months.
Combined with persistent staff shortages documented in the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) labour analyses, the pressure on frontline property managers (PMs) has intensified significantly.
According to Adam Franklin, head trainer at AI Edge, the issue is no longer about individual capacity, but systemic strain.
“PMs aren’t burning out because they lack skill,” Franklin told REB.
“They’re burning out because the volume of work has outgrown the systems built to support them. Agencies are relying on human endurance to absorb inefficiency, and the cracks are now impossible to ignore.”
Franklin highlighted that one of the most overlooked drivers of stress is rework – the repeated clarifications, corrections and communication loops that consume hours each week.
“What looks like a busy inbox is often the same issue resurfacing two or three times.”
“The industry has normalised that level of duplication for so long that exhaustion is now seen as a built-in part of the job.”
With regulatory demands increasing and enquiry volumes showing no signs of easing, Franklin warned that agencies risk losing experienced talent unless operational capability is strengthened.
“We’re hitting an inflection point.”
“If we want PMs to stay, agencies must give them tools and skillsets that reduce friction, not add to it. The job doesn’t need to be reinvented – it needs to be supported,” he concluded.
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