Insights

Whether you are a novice Property Manager, or looking for your next senior role, it’s equally important to take the time to prepare carefully before you attend an interview. Researching the role and company and preparing your answers to typical interview questions will give you the best chance of succeeding in the interview and help you be noticed. 

Here are CPR’s top tips on preparing for Property Management interviews…

Types of Property Management jobs

Property Management covers many different sectors and you could be working for an estate agency, BTR/PRS firm, housing association or private landlord. Property Managers look after residents and safeguard the property, whether it is residential or commercial.

Typical roles in Property Management include:

• Property Manager (Junior & Senior)
  
• Head of Property Management
  
• Estates Manager
  
• Facilities Manager
  
• Building Manager
  
• General Manager
  
• Survey Manager
  
• Development Manager
  
• House Manager

Responsibilities for Property Managers

Although Property Management covers a wide variety of roles and responsibilities, there are three key areas:

Maintaining financials

Property Managers are expected to set, collect and adjust rent for a property’s tenants, as well as maintaining detailed records of these transactions.

Managing tenants

Property Managers deal directly with tenants and manage leases, tenant screenings, evictions and complaints.

Ensuring property integrity

All scheduled and emergency maintenance and repairs for the property fall under the responsibility of the Property Manager.

What skills are employers looking for?

These are the skills employers would most like to see in interviewees for Property Management jobs. You’ll need to have examples from your work history to demonstrate all of these skills.

• Very strong interpersonal and communication skills. Property Managers serve as liaisons between property owners and tenants and need to be able to communicate effectively.
  
• The ability to manage budgets and maintain financial records.
  
• Excellent customer service skills. Both tenants and owners need to be able to get in touch, express any concerns and trust that you will solve their issues.
  
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to schedule and coordinate multiple tenants, residencies, works etc.
  
• Negotiation skills to agree and manage leases and vendor bills and keep both tenants and owners happy.
  
• You need to be very responsible and trustworthy, as owners are leaving their investments in your hands.
  
• Any practical experience of handling repairs and maintenance issues is likely to be an advantage.

You’ll also need good IT skills and an understanding of marketing to help promote properties to prospective tenants.

Employers usually like to see some relevant industry experience. If this is your first role, consider looking for a trainee position or work experience to strengthen your CV.

Typical interview questions for Property Management jobs

When you’re practising your responses to these questions, consider using the STAR technique, which provides a simple structure for answering questions.

► S = Situation – the context for your example story

► T = Task – the challenge you faced

► A = Approach – what you did to overcome it

► R = Results – how well your actions succeeded

• What previous property management experience do you have and what type of properties have you managed?
  
• Tell me about a difficult situation you were in whilst a Property Manager, and what was the outcome. Would you do anything differently?
  
• Why do you want to work for us and what attracts you to this industry?
  
• Describe a time you've had multiple competing demands and you did you manage these?
  
• Share an effective method you have used to communicate information to prospective tenants.
  
• Tell me how you organise, plan, and prioritise your work.
  
• Share an example of when you went above and beyond the ‘call of duty’.
  
• Tell me about your last experience directing collection and payment of fees. Name a method you found effective.
  
• Have you done any kind of personal development, such as training or research, in the last 12 months?

What not to do in your interview

These are the things you must avoid doing at all costs. Property Managers need to appear professional and organised, and all of these will leave the interviewer with a bad impression.

• Arrive late – make sure you know exactly where you are going and plan your travel
  
• Appear ungroomed – you need to wear professional attire and be well-presented
  
• Have dirty shoes – a classic interview mistake! Make sure they’re clean and polished
  
• Keep your mobile phone on – switch it off or put it in airplane mode
  
• Forget to put enough money in the parking meter – if you have to rush out midway through an interview, you’re unlikely to get the job
  
• Neglect researching the interviewer and their business – they will want to see that you have done your homework
  
• Smell of smoke – this can be very off-putting in an interview room, so save the cigarettes until afterwards
  
• Slouch in your chair – body language is very important in interviews. Sit up straight, make eye contact and smile!
  
• Forget to take a printed copy of your CV – the interviewer will almost certainly have a copy, but it gives the impression that you are organised and prepared
  
• Fail to have questions ready to ask the interviewer

Useful resources

Here are some websites that will help you brush up on what’s happening in the market:

Professional bodies

Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA)

Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM)

Property Managers Association (PMA)

Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)

Property news sites

Prime Resi

Estate Agent Today

Property Industry Eye

The Negotiator

Remember…

Attending an interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, but the more prepared you are, the more confident you are likely to be.

An interview isn’t all about the employer. It’s your chance to find out more about the role and decide if it’s the right move for you. So make sure you don’t get overwhelmed and forget to ask some questions of your own.

CPR can help

When you’re ready to look for a new Property Management job in London, CPR can help. We’ve got a great track record of matching candidates with their ideal roles and have a great reputation with our impressive client list. We’ll listen to your needs and treat you as a person, not a CV.

Contact our Property Management recruitment team on 020 7435 0309 or info@cpr.jobs.