Hire for ownership
Skills can be taught. The instinct to treat a building like your own is much harder to train.
Leadership notes
Great buildings are run by great teams.
Notes on hiring, training and leading the people who make real estate work: leasing agents, supers, property managers and everyone in between.
Real estate is a people business
Investors talk about cap rates and interest rates, but the day-to-day performance of a property comes down to people. Who answers the phone, how fast a leak gets fixed, how a showing feels: these are team outcomes, not spreadsheet outcomes.
Building that team is the most important operating decision an owner makes. These are the principles that guide how I think about it.
Six principles for building a team
Make roles crystal clear
Every call, every work order and every lease should have one clear owner. Ambiguity is where service breaks down.
Train in the field
The best training happens in the hallway, the boiler room and the showing, not only in a manual.
Measure what matters
Response times, occupancy, collections and resident satisfaction tell you where to focus.
Promote from within
People who grow inside the company carry its standards forward.
Stay close to the work
Leaders who walk the buildings make better decisions than leaders who only read reports.
Structure the departments
A well-run operation separates the work into clear lanes: leasing, property management, maintenance, accounting and compliance, with a front desk that routes every request to the right lane. When responsibilities overlap, write down who owns what and revisit it as the portfolio grows.
Build simple systems first
Before buying more software, make sure the basics are consistent: one place for work orders, one place for leases, one calendar for inspections and renewals. Simple systems that everyone uses beat sophisticated ones that half the team ignores.
Create a feedback rhythm
Short weekly check-ins on open items, monthly reviews of the numbers, and honest conversations when something goes wrong. A team that talks about problems early solves them while they are still small.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a good property manager?
Responsiveness, organization and judgment. A good property manager keeps residents informed, follows through on repairs, knows the building's systems and escalates the right issues to ownership at the right time.
How should a real estate company organize its staff?
Most operators organize around clear functions: leasing, property management, maintenance, accounting and compliance, supported by a front desk or call center that routes requests. The right structure depends on portfolio size and property types.
How do you train new leasing agents?
Pair them with an experienced agent, have them shadow showings and applications, teach fair housing rules early, then give them increasing responsibility with regular feedback.
Why does company culture matter in property management?
Residents and tenants feel culture directly. A team that takes ownership responds faster, communicates better and keeps buildings in better condition.
Want to compare notes?
I am always glad to connect with operators, managers and people building their careers in real estate.
Brooklyn, New York