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New industry commentary suggests that property managers are losing multiple hours each week to preventable rework – a silent productivity drain that experts say is contributing to burnout, staff turnover and rising operational costs across agencies.
Rework includes clarifying incomplete instructions, rewriting rushed emails, correcting documentation errors and resolving disputes caused by miscommunication. While not tracked formally in key performance indicators (KPIs), these repetitions are widely acknowledged by property management leaders as one of the sector’s most persistent inefficiencies.
Recent state rental commissioner reports across NSW and Victoria have echoed this sentiment, noting that communication breakdowns continue to drive a significant portion of tenant complaints and escalations.
Adam Franklin, head trainer at AI Edge, told REB that rework has become so embedded in property manager (PM) workflows that most teams no longer recognise it as avoidable.
“PMs assume their job is inherently chaotic,” Franklin said. “But when you observe their workflow closely, you see the same tasks being done multiple times because the first version wasn’t structured or detailed enough. The cost isn’t just time – it’s morale.”
Franklin said artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping this pattern by helping PMs create clearer first drafts across communication, inspection reports and compliance summaries.
“When communication is structured properly from the start, it prevents the follow-ups that normally consume hours each week,” he said. “AI helps PMs deliver clarity on the first go, and that directly reduces conflict and duplication.”
He added that documentation – particularly inspections – remains one of the biggest rework drivers.
“PMs spend a disproportionate amount of time reconstructing reports,” Franklin explained. “AI allows them to convert notes into a polished draft instantly. They still apply their expertise – they just don’t begin from a blank page.”
Franklin said reducing rework will be central to agency retention strategies in 2025.
“Rework is the enemy of capacity."
“If the industry wants stability, we must remove the friction that’s wearing people down. AI isn’t a shortcut - it’s a pressure valve,” he concluded.
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