How to Build and Keep a Great Property Management Team with Melissa Prandi

Your team represents your property management business, and today we’re talking about the importance of building and keeping a great property management team with Melissa Prandi, of Prandi Property Management. Many of her employees have been with her for 10 years or longer, and she’s quick to tell us that having the best team she’s ever had provides confidence and opportunities for growth.

Where We Are Now: Prandi Property Management

Melissa owns Prandi Property Management in San Rafael, California, which is right between the Golden Gate Bridge and Napa Valley. She’s been in the business for 37 years, and started working for her property management company as a receptionist at the age of 19.

When she bought the company, it was small. There was a bookkeeper and a full time property manager and Melissa. Now, she has a staff of 15 and three virtual assistants. It takes some work to bring all those personalities together, but when it works – it really works. All you have to do is check out Prandi’s reviews. Customers benefit from a strong and thriving property management team.

Building and maintaining a great property management team may seem basic. But, if you don’t take care of basics, you cannot grow and scale as a business. Your team is your foundation, and that’s why we’re talking about this today.

Where do You Start? Making the First Hire and Adding to Your Team

If you’re just one person or you have a small two-person property management team, your first hire needs to be someone who complements you. Look at your own strengths and weaknesses as an owner or a key manager. Then, hire someone who has a different set of skills and strengths. Melissa is a visionary. She describes herself as a people-person, and someone who loves to share. Her logical first-hire was Christine, who has been with Prandi for 18 years. Christine fills in the gaps while Melissa is busy rushing from A to Z. She is practical, detail-oriented, and really good at implementing.

Find someone to complement your personality, especially if you have a small staff.

Hire for attitude. The first team members you bring on don’t have to have property management experience. Christine didn’t even know what property management was when Melissa hired her. Now, she has all of her designations, including Residential Management Professional (RPM) and Master Property Manager (MPM).

Melissa’s son is the Business Development Manager at Prandi. People love that he’s the owner’s son, and they like being drawn into a family-oriented business. Prandi Property Management markets themselves as being Family-owned and Community-focused. That’s powerful. Matt started working as a property manager; he got his real estate license at the age of 19, and then got his broker’s license.

Most people don’t start out as property managers – Melissa didn’t start out as a property manager. The front desk role used to be where new employees learned about the company and the industry. Now, there are virtual assistants answering phones at Prandi. However, Melissa says her best people have typically come in as assistants and learned the ropes. Good property management team members learn by doing everything.

Keeping Team Members Happy and Motivated

Christine has been with Prandi for 18 years and Melissa’s bookkeeper has been in place for 13 or 14 years. Why do people stay so long?

Respect.

Melissa says she respects them and knows what it’s like to be an employee.

It starts with respect and inspiring a culture of respect in the office.

There’s also a great benefits package including a 401k plan with a four percent match. She keeps her team happy by encouraging them to grow with her. You don’t ever want your staff to feel like they can’t learn more.

Another important tip to keeping your team members happy is this:...