• August 1, 2012

In a quest to find out what the role of a Property Manager entails, I shadowed Roshini Fernando for the day. While many of my preconceptions about the role of a Property Manager proved to be true, I also gained a deeper, in-depth understanding and respect for her profession. A day in the life of a Property Manager is unpredictable, rewarding, fast-paced and filled with challenges. Communication is really at the core of Property Management. Retaining old tenants and attracting new ones combined with heightened expectations for round-the-clock service makes this a truly unique profession.

The Target

Roshini is renowned at Compton Green for her infectious smile. Her background encompasses a successful career in real estate sales and business development, an experience that allowed her to reap valuable knowledge. Roshini’s drive for excellence and exceptional customer service combines with a professional attitude, efficiency and high level of organisational skills to ensure tenants are happy and investment portfolios are taken care of. Her passion for real estate thrives on the ever changing work environment where no two days are the same. In her spare time, Roshini loves fitness, cooking and spending time with friends and family.

9:15am: The day commences. Roshini opens up her email account and has 82 new emails. While this number may be surprising, Roshini and Property Manager, Megan both tell me that this is an average number. “I never know what my day is going to be like as it is unpredictable. While I may set out to complete tasks, everything can change in an instant. I truly love it,” she said.

10am: Roshini is powering through her emails. Throughout the morning she receives an endless amount of phone calls. Being a problem solver and ‘thinking quick’ on your feet is essential in this role.

11am: We open up a house for inspection. She guides potential tenants through, points out the features of the home and answers their enquiries with precision.

11:30am: Roshini is on the phone.

12pm: We go to Roshini and Megan’s favourite lunch spot, The Pickle Barrel in Williamstown. After chatting with both of them, it is apparent that they both love Property Management for the same reasons. “Property Management really keeps me on my toes and I love how it is fast-paced. I was really attracted to the role of Property Management as I wanted a job where I would be interacting with a range of people on a daily basis,” she said.

12:30pm: Roshini continues to answer phone calls and emails.

1:30pm: We attend a property evaluation in Footscray as the individual is considering putting his apartment up for lease. Roshini provides a comprehensive overview of Compton Green and outlines our services. The potential landlord announces his impression of Compton Green. “The reason I am thinking Compton Green is because I have dealt with your agency in the past. I found one particular sales agent to be extremely helpful and I have only heard of positive reviews about the company,” he said.

2:30pm: We attend a property in Yarraville as we need to let the maintenance worker in to fix a door.

3:15pm: We have an appointment with a young couple in Spotswood who want to have a look through a Victorian home.

3:30pm: Another open for inspection. A man potential tenant looks through a property in Spotswood as his partner has recommended it to him. The individual is confused as to where all his furniture would go, Roshini once again shows her problem solving abilities. She explains a number of different furniture arrangements.

4:15pm: Roshini has two more open for inspections and then she returns to the office and continues on responding to the pile-up of emails.

6:15pm: The day has ended.