Property Managers – R U OK?

COVID and enforced lockdowns, higher vacancy rates, financial hardship impacting tenants/landlords – now more than ever property managers are being exposed to stressful and often challenging situations.

How do you stop your property management team from burning out? How do you provide the right guidance and support before it really takes its toll on your team or colleagues mental and physical health? Here are a few tips that can help you create an inclusive and safe work environment for your property management team.

Provide staff training on how to deal with conflict

A holistic approach to developing a property manager’s skills should always include a strong focus on their overall well-being and promoting a positive work culture. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, six in 10 people say poor mental health impacts their concentration at work – and this was before the pandemic has hit. Providing employees with educational materials and training that addresses mental health issues and encouraging strong work relationships are essential in developing happier employees. Get in touch with training providers and consultants that specialise in mental health and collaborate with employees in developing training programmes that are well-suited for your team’s needs.

Encourage staff to use annual leave days – and completely unplug

With travel restrictions still in place, holiday opportunities are limited, and employees might want to cancel their annual leave as a result. However, it is in these times of anxiety and uncertainty when it is even more important to rest and reset – even if it just means unplugging your laptop and turning those email notifications off while you do other things besides work for a few days. According to Heads Up, breaking that cycle of work benefits both the employee and the organisation. For employees, taking a few days off helps reduce stress and improve mood. Agencies in turn can benefit from the improved morale and increase in productivity from employees who are well-rested and motivated.

Provide flexibility and support in the workplace

As more property managers work from home due to lockdowns, many agencies have come to a realization that flexible work is not only possible in property management but even beneficial in some cases. In our Property Industry Work From Home Survey Report, about 66% of respondents believe a flexible working arrangement will be the new norm in property management, citing increase in productivity and less-stressed employees as advantages. With the help of cloud-based property management solutions, you can easily provide remote work options for employees.

Aside from flexibility, it is also necessary to ensure everyone at your team feels supported. Establish a mental health policy to encourage a safe space and open communication around mental health. This helps in removing the stigma around mental health problems, making it easier for anyone in your team to ask for help, as well as offering help themselves to a colleague in need of support.

Acknowledge and appreciate your peers and teams

It is natural for anyone to want to be appreciated and respected by their peers and leaders. In fact, it’s not just a want but a basic human need.  And if there is anything any property managers need right now it is recognition for their hard work in such stressful times brought about by the crisis. Recognising staff and colleagues foster healthier relationships and increase employee satisfaction. There have been many studies correlating employee happiness and recognition and it almost always comes down to a similar conclusion: that people who are recognised more are happier at work. Be generous and timely in showing appreciation, share moments of recognition of an employee to the whole team, and encourage employees to celebrate wins no matter how small.

If you do need help, it’s ok to ask, with so many resources available

Practical approaches to improving mental health at work is a step towards creating a healthy and thriving workplace. Oftentimes, all it takes is a simple “How are you?” to open the conversation and make someone feel a little bit better. But if you or your team need professional help, here are some resources to get you started:

• Realcare mobile app and Rise collective are both focussed on supporting the wellness and mental health for the real estate industry.
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• Head to Health