The chief executive of a Queensland property management business has shared how a BDM organically grew its rent roll from zero to 450 in two years, purely through relationship work.
Housemark chief executive Natalie South joined REB director and Managed co-founder Alex Whitlock in The Property Management Excellence (PMX) Podcast to discuss the systems, structure, and leadership model behind one of Australia’s fastest-growing property management businesses.
A primary focus for South and her business development manager, Jordan Slinger, has been treating relationship building as a core function of rent roll growth rather than an afterthought.
Slinger joined Housemark just over two years ago and has grown the Sunshine Coast property management business from zero to 450 properties under management entirely organically. This result stands out in an industry where growth is often pursued through heavy investment in marketing spend and rent roll acquisition. He achieved this purely through building robust relationships and trust.
South commended Slinger’s achievements, adding that it reflected the core philosophy that is embedded in the business’s growth model.
“He’s done that through pure hard work, energy, and embedding himself in the community. No marketing, no acquisition,” South said.
Slinger’s approach is simple in concept but demanding in execution: meet three new people or three existing partners face-to-face every single day.
Pivotal role of referral partnerships
Housemark has never relied on a sales arm. Instead, the business has been built entirely on a B2B referral model, working alongside mortgage brokers, sales agents, accountants, wealth advisers, conveyancers, developers, and builders.
“Sales agents are one of our biggest referral sources,” South said.
“Sales agents with our rent roll, but also sales agents with a rent roll that choose to refer to us directly. Normally, that comes down to a lack of relationship with their business development manager (BDM) in their office or a lack of confidence around service.”
The volume conversation has been the consistent engine of Housemark’s growth, according to South.
“Our BDMs – Jordan, Jack, Izzy and Nick – have one job, and that’s to meet three new people or three of our existing partners on a daily basis,” South said.
“We know if we do that at the end of the 12 months, we’ll have hit our organic growth goals. That hasn’t failed us for the last seven years in a row.”
The numbers back that claim. Housemark has grown from zero to 3,500 properties under management entirely organically in seven years, starting out of founder Jonny Bell’s garage. South joined the business when it had 1,000 properties and has overseen its growth to 3,500 over four years.
The franchised BDMs now operate across Housemark’s Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast locations, and the model is being taken into a new market: Victoria.
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