Leading for Growth

4 days ago
4 min read

**Rachel Atkin, Head of Property Management and Performance Coach, Harcourts Victoria, on Property Management Growth**

And one of the biggest conversations I have with business owners and PM leaders right now is this:

How do we grow , sustainably, profitably, and without burning out our teams?

Today, I’m breaking down the realities of rapid asset growth, what works, what doesn’t, and what the highest-performing growth businesses are doing differently.

So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s talk growth — real growth, not hustle-and-hope growth.

1. POSITIONING: THE HIDDEN ENGINE OF GROWTH

Before we talk scripts or BDM activity or funnels, we need to talk positioning.

Because here’s the truth:

If your market position is generic, your growth results will also be generic.

Most agencies speak in the same language:

- “We offer great service.”

- “We care about our landlords.”

- “We communicate well.”

But these are hygiene factors, not differentiators.

Modern investors — especially in a tightening legislative environment — want a partner who can protect them from:

- Compliance risk

- Maintenance overspend

- Vacancy loss

- Tenant instability

- Long-term asset deterioration

Here is the positioning shift:

From service provider → to risk and asset performance partner.

When you operate from this positioning, the fee conversation disappears because the investor is no longer comparing you on ‘% management fee’ but on capability, risk mitigation and commercial value.

2. GROWTH CULTURE: “NEW BUSINESS IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS”

One of my favourite principles in high-growth PM businesses is this:

New Business is everyone’s business.

This does NOT mean everyone becomes a BDM.

This means everyone contributes to the reputation foundation that growth stands on.

Every PM interaction is either:

- Building confidence, or eroding it.

When I work with offices that achieve consistent double and triple-digit annual growth, they share one behaviour pattern:

The entire team understands why growth matters and how they contribute to it.

Examples:

- Your Senior PM attends listing presentations to demonstrate operational strength.

- Your assistants handle maintenance with warmth, clarity and speed — boosting landlord trust.

- Your whole team hears growth results weekly — not quarterly.

- Wins are celebrated publicly, and losses (landlords leaving) are discussed constructively.

Culture is not a poster. Culture is behaviour repeated until it becomes identity.

And a growth culture builds momentum — because people want to be part of success.

3. PIPELINE LEADERSHIP: MORE NURTURING, LESS CHASING

Most agencies focus heavily on prospecting but almost never on pipeline quality.

And the pipeline is where growth actually happens.

Your key channels are:

1. Sales Department – Sellers become landlords.

2. Existing Clients – Portfolio expansion is the fastest path to growth.

3. Professional Networks – Brokers, accountants, conveyancers, planners.

4. Digital Funnel – Lead magnets, nurturing emails, automation.

But the secret weapon is nurturing.

Example language improvement:

- Instead of: “Let me know if you know anyone renting a property…”

- Try: “Who in your network has bought, renovated or inherited a property recently and might be reviewing management options?”

One invites vague thinking.

The other invites recall.

4. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS: LEADERSHIP BY DATA, NOT GUESSWORK

If you want consistent growth, you must have consistent measurement.

You should know:

- How many enquiries convert to appraisals

- How many appraisals convert to proposals

- How many proposals convert to sign-ups

- Average weekly sign-ups

- Average monthly churn

- Time to convert

- Source of every lead

Growth = New Business Gained – Lost Managements.

If your goal is net +150 but you lose 5 per month, you’re not aiming for 150.

You’re aiming for 210.

This is why some teams feel like they’re working hard but not moving, because the target they set was incomplete.

5. THE HEATMAP OF PROFITABILITY: END THE FEE CONVERSATION

One of the most transformative tools I teach in coaching is the Heatmap of Profitability.

This tool maps:

- Time spent

- Task complexity

- Owner behaviour

- Tenant behaviour

- Compliance requirements

- Maintenance volume

- Risk level

When you visually map your portfolio, patterns reveal themselves:

- High-effort owners

- High-complexity assets

- Low-yield property types

- Hidden costs in your workflow

This removes the fee conversation because you can now have commercial, evidence-based dialogue:

“Based on the compliance profile, maintenance volume and risk category of this asset, the service level required is X, so the fee structure that aligns is Y.”

No emotion. No justification. Pure professionalism.

Investors respect transparent, evidence-based reasoning.

6. RETENTION: THE COMPOUNDING GROWTH MULTIPLIER

Retention is the quiet engine of long-term expansion.

If your churn is high, your growth will always feel like pushing a boulder uphill.

Retention is strengthened by:

- Same-day communication

- Proactive maintenance forecasting

- Quarterly investment reviews

- Clear expectations

- Transparent processes

- Educating investors, not just informing them